The College Years: Part Deux
by SprouseGoose
Summary: The second half of The College Years.  It will follow Cody and Bailey all the way through graduation.
1. Free at Last

_Chapter 1_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

2013 was here and with it January. The first fell on a Tuesday. Cody and Bailey had two weeks before classes started back while Zack, Cassie, Addison and Woody had three weeks. But, all six were anxious to head back to their apartments. For the four from Storrs, they were ready to be back on campus and had to get ready for spring rush. For Cody and Bailey, Bailey was anxious for her doctor's appointment on Thursday morning. So, Tuesday night was everyone's last night in Boston as they all planned to head back to campus on Wednesday morning.

They spent one last night hanging out with Carey and Arwin. Knowing she had Arwin and how devoted he was to her, the twins felt better about leaving their mom in Boston. Still, they both did wonder just how serious the relationship between them was. They were pretty sure where Arwin would like to see it go, but neither wanted to intrude into their mother's love life. Now that they were both adults themselves and in adult relationships, it was a subject they knew was none of their business.

Wednesday morning found them packed up again and on their way back west. Just past the rest area they normally met Zack and Cassie at, the Storrs four turned off to head towards UCONN. Cody and Bailey made their way back through Hartford and finally south to New Haven. Arriving back home, they unloaded the SUV and let Porkers out to frolic. Once he was done, Bailey gathered him and lead him back inside while Cody went next door to get their mail from Jo and Bill. To Cody's disappointment and relief at the same time, their scores hadn't come yet. The rest of the evening was spent doing laundry again and another run to the grocery store to get food back in the house.

Early the next morning, Cody and Bailey made their way back to student health for Bailey's doctor's appointment. They were called back to an exam room and again waited for the doctor to see them. After even more waiting, the doctor did finally arrive.

"Alright, its time to see just how that ankle is doing. Let's get you into x-ray and hope its the last one you have to take..."

Bailey made her way to the radiology room, and was happy to take off the walking boot for the x-ray. Once it was done, Bailey returned to the exam room and waited with Cody. Cody turned to her and smiled.

"Admit it...You're going to miss coming in to get pictures taken of your foot..."

Bailey rolled her eyes and laughed. "Oh, you know me..."

"Well, lets hope this is the last one..."

Bailey nodded. "I know..."

Finally, the doctor returned to the exam room with the x-ray and a big smile.

"Congratulations, Miss Pickett...Your ankle has healed perfectly. You will no longer need the walking boot..."

Bailey sighed in relief. "Thank you so much..."

Cody smiled too. "So, what do we need to do now?"

"Well, we need to set up an initial appointment for Miss Pickett to begin physical therapy so she can regain motion, function and strength back in her ankle..." The doctor turned to Cody. "She can do it on her own, but it would be easier if she had someone she trusted to help her..."

Cody nodded. "Just tell me what to do..."

Bailey smiled at him before turning back to the doctor. "How often will I need to come in for physical therapy?"

The doctor checked his chart. "Twice a week...Your physical therapist will be able to give you more exact details than I can..."

Bailey nodded. "Okay."

"I know you're a student and you work, but I would recommend having at least two days between each session to give your ankle time to heal and recover..."

Bailey paused to think. "Well, I work on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but I could come in after classes on Mondays and Fridays..."

"They should be able to work with that...I assume that fits your schedule as well, Mr. Martin?"

Cody nodded. "Absolutely. Is there anything else I can do to help outside of her physical therapy sessions?"

The doctor smiled. "Of course. Physical therapy will give her a list of exercises that Miss Pickett will need to do every day. Will you help her with those?"

Cody smiled. "Absolutely."

Bailey turned to Cody and smiled. "Is this going to be payback for me making you do those exercises to build back up your wrist?"

Cody laughed. "Maybe..."

Bailey just shook her head. "So, I don't need the walking boot anymore, right?"

"Correct. I'm going to give you an ankle brace I want you to wear during the day when you will be on your ankle the most. You don't have to wear it at night thought. This is just to give your ankle additional support while you are building the strength back up. And don't worry, you will be able to wear it comfortably over top socks and with shoes..."

Bailey sighed. "Shoes...I can't believe I forgot to bring my other shoe to put back on..."

Cody smiled at her and he held up a bag. "I didn't..."

Bailey grinned at him. "Thank you, Codykins..."

The doctor laughed. "Let me get you that brace and we'll get you out of here. But don't forget...your initial physical therapy appointment is tomorrow..."

Bailey was fitted for the brace, and for the first time in months, put a shoe on her right foot. As she and Cody headed back out to the car, Cody stopped and smiled at her again.

"What?"

Cody held up the SUV keys. "I figured you might want these..."

Bailey's face lit up. "Oh my gosh...I forgot to ask if I could drive again!"

"I asked while you were signing the final insurance papers...You're good to go, Bails."

Bailey walked over and grabbed the keys from him. She was about to walk to the driver's side when she turned back around and kissed Cody.

"What did I do to deserve that?"

"For everything you've done throughout this whole ordeal. I know at times I didn't make it easy on you, but you never once faltered in helping me and supporting me..."

Cody shrugged. "You know I would do anything for you..."

"I know. And it means a lot when you tell me that, but I've seen with my own two eyes that those just weren't words. You backed them up with actions. And that means the world to me."

"Well, why don't we get out of here and see if you still remember how to drive?"

Bailey grinned at him. "Is that a challenge?"

"No...but I am grateful we have dual airbags..."

Bailey swatted Cody's arm. "Cody!"

Cody grinned at her. "I'm kidding...Why don't we head over to the registrar's office and pick up our transcripts?"

"Alright..."

They both get back in the car, and as Bailey hit the switch so that the driver's seat and mirrors adjust to her preset conditions. As she was doing that, Cody jokingly pulled out the blindfold they had left in in the glove compartment after Bailey's birthday. Jokingly, he acted like he was going to put it on.

Bailey just shook her head. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Awww...Come on, if it had been the other way around, you would have done the same thing..."

"Well..." She laughed. "I would if I had thought of it..."

Thankfully, they didn't have too far to go to get to the registrar's office. Bailey was a little rusty driving, but she did fine. After picking up their official transcripts, they made their way back home. Once she pulled in behind their apartment, she put the SUV in park and turned it off.

"I'm going to go get Porkers to let him out, why don't you go check the mail?"

Cody nodded and began to walk around front. Bailey went in the back door, and Porkers trotted up to her. She smiled at him and lead him back outside so he could run around. It was then Bailey noticed Cody returning from out front with the strangest expression on his face.

"Cody, is everything okay?"

Cody just looked at her. "Our scores are in..."

_To be Continued..._


	2. The Scores Are In

_Chapter 2_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

"Our scores are in..."

Those four words completely changed Bailey's demeanor. It had been such a good day with her being freed from the walking boot and finally getting to drive again. But those two envelopes in Cody's hand had the possibility of not only ruining their days, but also the plans they had made for the future. Bailey could feel a pang of nervousness beginning to grow in her stomach. She looked into Cody's eyes and took some small comfort in realizing he was feeling the same things she was.

"Cody...I...ummm..."

"I know. I'm scared to death to know what's inside them too..."

Bailey nodded. "Lets go inside. That way, we can celebrate or cry in private..."

They both walked inside the house, both having the feeling they were walking their very own personal green miles. Both slumped into the couch, each holding their respective envelopes.

Cody turned to Bailey. "Ummm...You know, they do say ladies first..."

Bailey shook her head. "They also say age before beauty..."

Both just looked at the other, sighed and let out sad laughs.

"Look at us. We've dealt with things the would bring most people to their knees, and here we are both afraid of two envelopes...

Bailey sighed again. "I know...Its just that what's inside could dramatically affect all the plans we've made..."

Cody took her free hand in his. "Not all of them. No matter what they say, it won't affect the way I feel about you and my desire to marry you. Nothing will ever change those..."

Bailey was able to bring a real smile to her face. "I feel the same way. I love you, Cody. What's inside won't change that..."

"Right...So, why do I still feel so nervous?"

"Probably the same reason I do..."

"I would say we burn them, but that won't change anything..."

"Cody, we have to open them. Once we do, we'll deal with whatever they say..."

Cody nodded. "You're right..." He paused. "Will you open mine for me?"

"If you'll open mine for me..."

They exchange envelopes. Both look at the envelopes in front of them and then at each other.

Cody sighed. "Here goes nothing..."

He opens the envelope containing Bailey's GRE scores and pulls out the score sheet. He eyes it carefully and tries to make sense of what it says.

"How is this supposed to be scored exactly?"

"Like the SAT...800 points possible for each the verbal and quantitative sections and a score of 0-6 for the writing section..."

Cody nods and examines the results based on that.

"You want the good news or the bad news?"

"If I hear that phrase one more time..." Bailey sighed. "Give me the good news first..."

"You got a 6 on the written section..."

"Great. I nailed the part that doesn't mean as much...Give me the bad news..."

"You got a 776..." Cody paused. "...on the verbal and a 784 on the quantitative..." Cody grinned at her.

Bailey's eyes went wide. "You mean..."

"That's right, Sweetheart...You got a 1560. And according to this, you are in the top 1% of scores of all people who took the GRE..."

Bailey immediately threw her arms around Cody's neck and hugged him hard. "Oh my gosh!" Cody could feel the collar of his shirt getting damp from her tears.

"Congratulations, Bails...You destroyed it!"

Bailey pulled back and had a beaming smile on her face. "Yeah, I guess so..." She paused and her smile disappeared. "I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have gotten so excited like that...especially when we don't know how you did yet..."

"Its okay. You did extremely well. You have every reason to be happy..."

"I bet you did too...Lets find out..." She opened the envelope and paused. "First, explain to me how this is scored so I know what I'm looking at..."

Cody nodded. "There are four sections. The first three, Physical Sciences, Biological Science and Verbal Reasoning are graded 1-15. Those three scores are averaged, and the higher it is, the better. The writing section essays are scored twice and graded 1-6. The scores for the essays are averaged and assigned a letter grade from 'J' through 'T'. 'J' would be an average score of 1.0 all the way up to 'T' which would be an average score of 6.0."

Bailey nodded and pulled out the score sheet and began reading it and trying to decipher it like Cody had with hers. Cody sat there impatiently.

"Well?"

Bailey paused. "I'm assuming BS is Biological Sciences...Your score for it was a 15..."

"Really?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah. And I'm assuming PS is Physical Sciences. Your score for it was a 15 too..."

Cody could feel his heartbeat racing faster and faster. "Oh man..."

"And I'm guessing VR is Verbal Reasoning...Ohhh..."

"Ohhh?"

"Sorry Codykins...No 15 there..." She paused and grinned. "I hope you can handle a 14 though..."

Cody slumped back into the couch. "So, my average is..."

"A 14.67...And lets see if I can find a letter grade for your writing score..."

Cody looked at her anxiously.

"Ahhh, here it is..." Bailey smiled at him.

"What? What?"

"Are you sure you want to know? Wouldn't you prefer to take a break and maybe get a glass of ice _tea_..."

Cody just looked at Bailey in confusion. "Why are you asking if I want something to drink at a time like this?"

Bailey laughed. "Silly, I was giving you a clue..."

Cody was incredulous. "A clue? How is ice tea a..." He paused. "Tea?" His eyes opened wide. "A 'T'?"

Bailey smiled at him. "That's right, Codykins..."

Like Bailey did earlier, Cody immediately pulled Bailey into his arms and began to pepper her cheeks and lips with kisses. Bailey could do nothing but hold on and enjoy Cody's enthusiasm.

Finally Cody pulled back. "Wow...a 14.67 T with a total score of 44..."

Bailey grinned at him. "I would you say you destroyed it, but I already know you did..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, like me, your score was in the top 1% of scores as well...In fact..."

"What?"

"Nah...I shouldn't tell you. It'll just make your head swell..."

"Tell me what? Please, Honey...Tell me..."

Bailey just shook her head at him. "Fine. It says here that your score is tied for the highest score for the past five years of the test..."

Cody smiled at her. "Really?"

"Yes. Now, you aren't going to let that go to your head are you?"

Cody paused. "No. But am I allowed to let it go to my head that we've both set ourselves up perfectly to get into whichever school we want?"

Bailey paused then. "You're right. Unless we blow the interviews, we should be in great shape...Of course, this means we have to immediately send our scores and transcripts to AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) and VMCAS (Veterinary Medical College Application Service) and complete the online applications and get our references and..."

Bailey was silenced by Cody kissing her. He pulled back and smiled at her.

"And we will. Tomorrow. But right now? We're going to celebrate..."

_To be Continued..._


	3. The First Physical Therapy

_Chapter 3_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

And celebrate is just what they did. They decided to head out to their favorite place in New Haven. It wasn't the fanciest of places, but it always had good food and was a campus favorite. And with students not due back until the next week, they were able to have the privacy to celebrate without any intrusions. Once dinner was over, they both came home and just sat back and relaxed. After nearly six months of dedicated studying and preparation, all of their hard work had paid off. And as a show of pride in the other, they each hung the other's scores on the refrigerator.

Bailey wanted to begin immediately on the application process the next morning, but Cody had to remind her that she had physical therapy to go to first. Once she finished it, they would have the rest of the day to do what needed to be done. Bailey reluctantly agreed, and they soon found themselves headed back to Yale Student Health. But this time, they were directed to the physical therapy area. The first time would be an initial consultation, and they would go from there.

Bailey and Cody sat in the waiting area until they were called back to a small office. Behind the desk, sat a young woman in khakis and a polo shirt. She looked up and saw them.

"You must be Bailey Pickett?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"I'm Tammy. I've been assigned to be your physical therapist. I've already reviewed your file, so I can already see we are dealing with ankle rehab. Fortunately, your ankle healed properly, so we shouldn't have too many problems..." She notices Cody with her. "And who is this?"

"This is my fiance, Cody..."

Tammy paused. "For some reason, you two look familiar..."

Cody and Bailey look at each other and shrug.

"Wait a minute! You two are the Jeopardy winners, aren't you?"

Bailey smiled. "That's us..."

Tammy smiled. "Well, lets get right to it, shall we? I need you to take off your shoe and sock, and will see just what kind of shape your ankle is in right now..."

Bailey nodded, and she took off her shoe and sock. Tammy knelt down and took Bailey's ankle in her hands. She gave Bailey orders to wiggle her toes, and then told Bailey to try to trace the alphabet with her toes without movie her leg. Bailey was able to, but she had a lot of difficulty. Tammy gave her a few more exercises to try as well, and she took notes as Bailey attempted all of them.

"Be honest...How does your ankle feel now?"

"Stiff..."

"That's to be expected. You haven't used those muscles or tendons in months. The muscles need to be strengthened again, and the tendons need to be stretched and loosened. The good news is that everything else seems to be alright. So, I can't say how long you will need physical therapy, but I don't anticipate it being all that long. According to the notes here, it says you are available on Mondays and Fridays, is that correct?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah. I get out of class at 3:15 on Mondays and at 11:50 on Fridays..."

Tammy nods. "Alright, how do Mondays at 4:00 and Fridays at 1:00 sound?"

"Perfect..."

"Good, we'll start Monday at 4:00 then..."

"Ummm...Next week is my last week of work, is there anyway I can move it later just that one time?"

Tammy nods. "Sure..."

"What is your last available appointment that day?"

Tammy checks her calendar. "You know, that actually works out great. I wanted to get you into the pool early on. If you can be here at 6:00, we'll be the last ones scheduled for it and we can take our time...Will your fiance be helping you with rehab?"

Cody nodded. "Yes, I will."

"Good. Both bring your swimsuits then. Until then, I have daily exercises I want you to do as well. I have a pamphlet here that explains them all. Bailey, I need you to do two sets a day of these..."

Cody smiled. "I'll personally make sure she does..."

"Good. Its easier when you have someone to help you..." Tammy goes over to a cabinet and brings out a long piece of fabric that resembles a scarf, but its its elastic. "Bailey, you will need this to complete many of your exercises. Alright, I look forward to working with you, and I will see you on Monday afternoon..."

Cody and Bailey returned home, and immediately they went to their home office and logged into to their respective accounts with AMCAS and VMCAS. Their test scores had already been sent to the agencies, and both still felt that they both were rackets. But, there was one benefit. They could fill out a general application on both that was acceptable to almost all medical schools and veterinary schools including all of the ones they were looking to apply to.

Both spent the next several hours meticulously filling out the online applications as best as they could. Once finished, they switched laptops so the other could double check them and make any necessary suggestions. Once they both were satisfied with what they had wrote, they both submitted them. Then, they next step they were prompted with was to enter the email addresses of those they wanted requests for recommendations sent to. Three were required, but no more than five were allowed. It was recommended that they send one to a doctor/veterinarian that both had worked closely with. Also recommended were one from a science professor and one from an adviser.

In Bailey's case, Dr. Ryan had already said she would write one for her no problem. Cody thought Dr. Cole would write him one as well, but he wanted to ask him in person before he entered his name. As for an adviser, both decided to ask Bill. For a science professor, both had had a great student-teacher relationship with their Genetics professor, and to boot, he was one of the most respected faculty in the country. As for others, Bailey wanted to ask Rachel Baker, and Cody wanted to ask George Daniels. Both of those would be able to testify about their work ethics and capabilities. Finally, for the fifth one, they decided to ask Moseby and Tutweiler if they would write one for the both of them as well.

They immediately sent emails to Rachel Baker, George Daniels, Moseby and Tut asking for their help. Then, they went next door to see if Bill would be agreeable. Naturally, he was. He said he would be more than happy to help them in any way he could. They would ask their current bosses when they went into work on Monday. Finally, they checked the clock and saw it was still early afternoon. So, they made their way across campus to their Genetics professor's office. Fortunately, he was in and free to talk to them. He definitely remembered them, and he actually said he would be honored to write them recommendations. Of course, his eyes nearly bulged when he heard what their test scores were.

Once those were taken care of or at least as much as they could, they returned home. By now, it was almost 6:00 in the evening and close to dinner time.

"You know, Bails...It might be easier on your ankle if we set two times each day for your exercises..."

Bailey nodded. "You're probably right..."

Cody paused to think. "Well, we have class every morning at 9:00. How about we just get up 30 minutes earlier than normal, and do the first set before our showers in the morning?"

"Sounds reasonable..."

"Right before bed seems a little late for the other set though. How about we schedule the other set for right before dinner every night?"

Bailey smiled. "Okay..."

Cody grinned. "Well, lose your shoe and sock then...Its time!"

"But...but..."

"No buts, Bails...Well, except for that cute one you have..."

Bailey just laughed. "Fine..."

So, for the next half of an hour, Bailey sat on the living room floor doing her exercises. The weird rubber band was actually really useful. And Cody was there to either help her or root her on the whole way. Finally, Bailey finished and laid back on the floor.

"Now, was that so bad?"

Bailey just glared at him. "I think you are enjoying this way too much..."

"Not at all. I just remember you making me do the exercises for my wrist even when I didn't want to do them. I just doing the same for you..."

Bailey sighed. "I know...I really do appreciate it..."

Cody grinned. "Besides, do you have any idea how much I'm looking forward to being able to play footsie with you in bed again..."

Bailey grinned at him. "Me too..."

"And getting to see those sexy legs bare again..." Cody whistles.

Bailey just shook her head. "You're smooth, Mr. Martin..."

"I'm not being smooth...just being honest."

"I know you are...Now, come on, its time for dinner."

"What sounds good?"

"How about pasta tonight?"

"That works..." Cody paused and smiled.

"What?"

"I guess its just good to be back in our old routine again. Us being back here on our own again, just you and me..."

Bailey smiled at him. "I know what you mean...With my ankle healed, everything can go back to normal around here."

From behind them, they heard an oink.

Both looked at each other, laughed and spoke at the same time. "And Porkers too..."

_To be Continued..._


	4. Treading Water

_Chapter 4_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The weekend was spent hanging around the house. Over the weekend, Moseby and Tut both had replied back and said they would be honored to write them recommendations. Cody did have to write back and see if Moseby would overlook all the grief and headaches he had helped Zack cause back at the Tipton. Moseby merely replied back that he would think about it.

Also that weekend, Max and Tapeworm got back to town. Cody and Bailey met them at their apartments and caught them up to date with everything new. The congratulated Bailey on being free of the walking boot and both on their exam success. Bailey pulled Max to the side, and on Max's laptop, showed her what the bridesmaid dresses would look like. Max was of the same opinion as Cassie and Addison that they were gorgeous. She showed Tapeworm who immediately agreed, but alas, Cody still wasn't allowed to see them.

Max and Tapeworm were planning on spending a week back in New Haven to get used to being back in town. It was suggested they all go get their books together on Friday, and then hang out afterwards. Bailey told them that she and Cody would call them once she was done with physical therapy.

Monday brought with it their first days back at work for the new year. Before the day was over, both had talked to their bosses, and they had readily agreed to write the recommendations for them. Dr. Ryan and Dr. Cole were also both impressed with their respective GRE and MCAT scores. Dr. Cole even asked Cody if he could have a copy of his scores to settle a bet with a friend of his that it was possible to do so well.

That afternoon, Cody and Bailey found themselves back at the physical therapy area. They were told to change into their swimsuits and meet Tammy out by the rehab pool. Once they had changed, they walked out into the pool area and saw a swimming pool unlike they had ever seen before. At one end of it, there was a treadmill. And that's where Bailey began. Soon, she found herself walking on the treadmill in the pool which had very warm water in it. After fifteen minutes of doing that, Tammy moved her over to balance exercises. This is where Cody was needed. His only job was to stand behind Bailey and be there to catch her if she began to fall. Bailey was directed to stand on her injured ankle to get used to putting weight on it while the water helped support her weight. After she had done that several times, she was put on a balancing board. She was to shift her weight back and forth so that she was stretching and contracting the tendons in her ankle.

Finally, she finished her first session of physical therapy, and she and Cody got dressed again. They told Tammy that they had all day Friday off, and they could come in earlier than one if she preferred. Tammy said that was fine, and she scheduled to come in at 9:00 AM instead.

That night, they both found emails from both Rachel Baker and George Daniels both saying they would be happy to write them recommendations. With that being the final one they needed to hear back from, they both logged into AMCAS and VMCAS and filled in the email addresses to send the recommendation requests too. In regards to to that now, all they had to do was wait.

The rest of the week was spent going to work, and Bailey continuing to do her exercises twice a day. Finally, Friday arrived, and Cody and Bailey found themselves back at the physical therapy pool once again. Again, Tammy put her through the rigorous exercises, but this time, made them a little bit harder. But, Bailey persevered on. She didn't particularly enjoy doing them, but she felt she had to. For one, she hadn't let up on Cody when he had done his for his wrist. For another, she felt that after everything Cody did to support her during her injury, she wasn't about to let him down. Finally, she wanted her ankle to be back the way it was before.

After they left physical therapy, the met up with Max and Tapeworm and headed to the bookstore. Again, they left with three large heavy bags – one for Bailey's books, one for Cody's books, and one containing all of their new notebooks and supplies. The plan was for everyone to drop their books off and meet back together.

First thing they did was walk around campus and see all the booths set up by the various student organizations in their requests for more members. Cody and Bailey looked at each other and both had the exact same idea. They signed up for various student organizations with the entire goal being to add them to their list of extracurricular activities on their applications. Once that was done, they all headed out to see a movie. Bailey and Cody were big fans of the Lord of the Rings movies and actually talked Max and Tapeworm into going to see the first The Hobbit movie.

The rest of the weekend was spent hanging around the apartment and avoiding the chilly weather outside. Without the MCAT and GRE to study for anymore and classes not starting until Monday, they really didn't have much to do. But they realized that soon enough they would be busy enough, so they enjoyed their down time and just enjoyed themselves. Of course, this didn't stop them from thinking ahead a little.

"You know Cody, at some point this semester, we're going to have to submit our proposals for our senior requirements in both Biology and Economics..."

Cody nods. "I know. I was hoping at some point during the semester to see if I could get some guidance from Bill and hope he can point me in the right direction. I was hoping Health Economics and Public Policy may give me a good idea..."

"Would you mind if I went with you when you talked to Bill? I have a few ideas of my own I would like to discuss with him..."

Cody smiled. "Of course I wouldn't mind...I just wish there was some way we could work together on it..."

Bailey paused. "Maybe there is? What if we researched the same topic from two different perspectives?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, like you said with Health Economics and Public Policy...Maybe there is a topic we could do were you look at it from a medical perspective and I could from a veterinary perspective?"

Cody nodded. "Maybe so...Its a great idea though..."

Bailey smiled at him. "Thank you, Codykins...Have you come up with an idea for your Biology one yet?"

Cody paused and laughed. "I have, and it may sound kind of silly, but its something I believe I have a distinct viewpoint of..."

"Okay, I have to hear this..."

"Well, since you've known us, you've heard Zack and I talk about twin telepathy. I was thinking about researching the biology of it from a genetics viewpoint one semester and a biochemistry viewpoint the other. And focus if there is a difference in dizygotic twins versus monozygotic twins like Zack and I..."

Bailey grinned at him. "I love it! I can't wait to read your research into it..."

"Really? You think its a good idea?"

"I sure do. And you're right, it is something you would have a personal stake in..."

"Thanks, Bails...What about you? Any ideas?"

"Well, there is something I've been thinking about, but I don't know..."

Cody smiled. "Whatever it is, I'm sure its brilliant..."

"Well, since I've been working at the animal hospital, one of the main questions asked is what kind of food to feed their pets. I was thinking about the nutritional needs of animals based on genetics and other circumstances such as illness, allergies, pregnancy and so forth..."

"Sounds fascinating. I can't wait to read yours either..."

"Really?"

"Bails, your idea actually makes sense in a practical manner beyond what is necessary in the halls of academia...I had never considered that maybe Porkers may have allergies like humans can..."

Bailey beamed at Cody's praise. "Thank you, Codykins..."

"Anytime, Bails...I was thinking about something else lately too..."

"Yeah, what's that?"

"You remember the weekend in Vermont we got for Christmas from Zack and Cassie?"

"Yeah..."

"What would you think about using it for Valentine's Day weekend?"

Bailey grinned. "I love the way you think...It sounds perfect to me..."

"Me too. We could try skiing or just spend as much time together in front of a roaring fire..."

"Either way sounds good to me..."

"So, is that a green light for me to go head and try to reserve someplace romantic?"

"Definitely..."

Sunday night, they both found themselves lying in bed together. Tomorrow was the first day of classes, and both were eagerly looking forward to it.

Bailey sighed. "The night before the first day of school. I would always be so excited I couldn't sleep..."

Cody snuggled closer to her. "Me too...Used to drive Zack crazy..."

"What do you think this semester will bring us?"

"I don't know...Hopefully several acceptance letters though..."

"That would be nice..."

"Other than that, I don't think anything else would be too surprising..."

Bailey nodded. "You're probably right. Considering everything we dealt with it, what else could there be?"

"Exactly...Goodnight, Sweetheart...I love you..."

"Love you too, Codykins..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: I hope everyone checks out _Kettlecorn_, the collaborative effort ****between Man of Faith and I. We plan on having some fun with it. Further, I promise the fun begins again here in the next chapter.**_  
_


	5. A Surprise Visitor

_Chapter 5_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Monday was the first day of classes. Again, it was syllabus day, but they got their first glimpses at Financial Markets, Biology of Reproduction and Statistics. Financial Markets seemed interesting. Reproduction seemed like it could aid both of their potential senior essays. And Statistics...well, it seemed downright boring. With the last class ending early, Cody and Bailey had some time to waste before physical therapy, so they decided to actually attend one of the meetings of the clubs they had signed up for. Both Cody and Bailey considered themselves to have liberal minds, but some of those people took it to a whole another level. Both were glad when they had to get up to leave to go to student health.

Again, Bailey was put through aquatic therapy, and Tammy had made it even more difficult. But, Bailey was actually beginning to feel results, so that boosted her resolve. She could feel the strength and flexibility slowly returning to her ankle. Tammy even told her that the way things were progressing, Bailey may be done with physical therapy sessions by mid February.

Speaking of mid February, Cody had already gone ahead and reserved a place for them for Valentine's weekend. He was fully planning on taking what Zack and Cassie had gotten them, but the lady on the phone said for just a little bit more, they could be upgraded to something really romantic. Once Cody found out what the extra perks were, he quickly agreed and decided to make it a surprise for Bailey.

The first week of classes continued on with Cody and Bailey getting their first tastes of Microbiology and Health Economics and Public Policy. Both agreed that the classes should be interesting enough to keep their attention. In fact, the really enjoyed all of their classes outside of their Statistics class. They didn't dislike it because it was hard. It wasn't. And they didn't even mind the loads of problems and homework they had for it. It was just that it was agonizingly boring. Sitting in class one day, Cody secretly wondered to himself if this was how Zack had felt in classes early on.

Life continued to move on, and before long the first several weeks of classes were in the books. The week before Valentine's Day was scheduled to be the first round of exams. Cody and Bailey stuck to their normal schedule as best as they could.

"Bails, is it wrong that I'm thinking of slashing my wrists while I study for stats?"

Bailey just laughed. "I really wish you wouldn't. I would have to clean up all the blood..." She winked at him. "Besides, I would have to break in a new fiance, and I've already gotten you trained just the way I want you.."

Cody just shook his head and laughed. "Alright, I won't...But just so I don't cause you any additional hardships..."

"I appreciate that...I know, its as boring as watching the hay grow, but its a class we have to have..."

Cody sighed. "I know. I just wish this was one of those classes we could have knocked out with AP credit..."

Bailey smiled at him. "Me too. But look on the bright side, its better that it be boring and easy than boring and difficult..."

"You're right. Nice pep talk, Pickett..."

They continued studying, and they spent that week taking their first round of tests. They tests weren't difficult for anyone who had been doing the reading and the assigned homework throughout the semester. In fact, even though they dreaded stats, both felt pretty confident that they had aced that particular test.

By Thursday, they had finished the last of their exams. They were scheduled to head out to Vermont on Friday afternoon, but they still had some things to do first. For one, Friday afternoon was scheduled to be Bailey's final physical therapy session. And, both had to work on Thursday afternoon. Of course, with Thursday actually being Valentine's Day itself, Cody had a dozen roses delivered to the Animal Clinic to Bailey. All of her co-workers gave her "awws", and Bailey just shook her head. She did remind herself to personally thank Cody for such beautiful flowers later. Soon enough, Cody was there to pick her up.

"Thank you for the flowers, Codykins, they were beautiful..."

"You're welcome, Sweetie...I bet a lot of the ladies had flowers sent to them though..."

Bailey shook her head. "Not really. I was getting a lot of looks of envy..."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Several asked me how I got you to send them to me..."

Cody laughed. "What did you tell them?"

Bailey shrugged. "Nothing. They were already looking at my flowers with envy...I didn't want to rub it in that my feller is just that romantic..."

Cody smiled at her. "Well, you make it easy to be..."

Bailey smiled back. "I also didn't mention we were leaving tomorrow for a weekend in Vermont...By the way, you haven't told me yet what kind of place we are staying at exactly..."

Cody feigned innocence. "I didn't?"

"No...You didn't..."

"Hmmm...Must have slipped my mind I guess."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to tell me?"

Cody grinned. "Nope. I upgraded us a little bit. You'll see when we get there tomorrow evening..."

Bailey just shook her head. "Is that so?"

"Uh huh..."

Bailey shrugged and smiled. "Okay. How long will it take us to get there anyways?"

"I think somewhere between four and five hours..."

"Between four and five?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah...Just depends on which online driving directions site you choose to believe..."

Bailey laughed. "Gotcha..."

Once they got home, they packed up their things for the weekend so they would be ready the next afternoon. And while Cody was cooking dinner, Bailey packed an extra bag with a few things she hoped would come in handy on their romantic getaway. They also double checked with Jo to make sure she didn't mind stopping in and checking on Porkers while they were away. After everything was taken care of, Bailey did make sure she personally thanked Cody for the flowers.

Friday was spent going to their classes and on to physical therapy. Once Bailey had completed it, she and Cody were sitting in Tammy's office.

"Congratulations, Bailey. I don't think you need my services anymore. Your ankle appears to almost be 100% again. You don't really need the brace anymore unless you feel you need it. I would recommend you keep doing your exercises for a little while longer though..."

Bailey smiled at her. "Thank you so much for your help, Tammy."

"Well, you should be thanking yourself. You did all the work. I was just here to make sure you did it properly..."

"I'm just glad to be back to normal..."

"Well, it appears that you are almost there...Just keep up the good work..."

Bailey nodded. "I will..."

Tammy turned to Cody. "And I must say, you have my admiration as well. You were here for every step of the way, and I understand you were the one who got her to do her exercises at home..."

Cody shrugged. "What can I say...She means the world to me. I would do anything for her."

Tammy nods. "Well, I wish you both the best of luck. I hate to say it, but I hope I don't see either of you back here again..."

Bailey nodded. "I know what you mean..."

Once they left student health, they headed back to the apartment, and Cody loaded the SUV while Bailey walked and fed Porkers one last time. Finally, they were both standing in the living room making sure they had everything they needed before they headed out. Once they decided they did, they were about to turn and head for the back door when there was a knock at the front door. They looked at each other and shrugged.

They opened the door and found a young man neither had seen before.

"Cody Martin and Bailey Pickett?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah...That's us..."

"I'm Ty Wellington. I was hoping I could have a moment of your time if you don't mind..."

Cody and Bailey shrug and let him inside. They sit on the couch while he sits in the chair.

"I have to admit. You two are quite impressive. Your performance on Jeopardy turned quite a few heads, and I know it made the alumni happy..."

Cody wasn't sure where this was headed. "Thanks..."

"And beyond that, both graduating with double majors in Economics and Biology in three years. And then on to med and vet school. And your MCAT and GRE scores...Wow!"

Bailey was confused. "How do you know so much about us?"

Ty grinned. "We have our ways..."

"We?"

Ty nodded. "Yes, we...I'm here on behalf of Skull & Bones. We would like to consider you both for membership..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: I encourage everyone to check out _Kettlecorn_ by myself and Man of Faith. We believe it will be a fun story that we have only scratched the surface of where we are heading with it.**_  
_


	6. An Air of Mystery

_Chapter 6_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody and Bailey looked at each other in complete shock. This was completely unexpected. After trying to let it sink in, both finally turned back to Ty Wellington.

"Excuse us. You want us to do what?"

Ty laughed. "We would like to consider the both of you for membership in Skull & Bones..."

"But...but..."

"You've both impressed several former Bonesmen...We would like the opportunity to get you both to know a little bit about us as we get to know you both..."

Bailey just shook her head. "But I always heard that Skull & Bones was like an old boys club..."

Ty smiled. "I assure you...We've been co-ed for over twenty years now. Men and women both are now eligible for membership. As for other issues, we do have our share of famous members..."

"Yeah?"

"Three presidents...Taft, Bush Sr. and Bush Jr...In fact, in the 2004 election, both Bush and Kerry were Bonesmen..."

"Wow..."

Cody paused. " I don't know what to say. You guys have quite a reputation. Especially with that movie..."

"I assure you that movie had absolutely no basis in reality. As for other things you've probably heard, almost all of them are fallacies..."

Cody sighed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Wellington...we're both a little shell shocked here..."

"I completely understand. But, I should tell you that this is quite an honor to be considered. We only accept 15 new members every year...And we only accept new members in the second semester of their junior years, which you two technically are in..."

Bailey spoke up. "What about hazing and other things like that? I know Cody and I don't want to have to give up our values and what we believe in..."

"And you wouldn't. We strongly believe in honor and integrity. We choose those for new membership who we believe will make great contributions to society. From what we've been told, that's the two of you. Rather, we believe in forming a strong network of individuals who want to make a difference in the world..."

Cody and Bailey both nod. "So, if we do consider this, what comes next?"

Ty smiled. "We'll be in touch..." He stands up. "It will be several weeks, but we wanted to let all of our perspective new members know that we are considering them. But, as it is Valentine's Day weekend, I have a girlfriend myself I have to go romance. She is a fellow Bonesman as well..."

He gets up and heads for the door. "Like I said...We'll be in touch...And have fun in Vermont..." With that he leaves.

Cody and Bailey just there staring at each other. How in the world had he known they were going there?

"What do you think, Bails?"

Bailey just shook her head. "I don't know...What do you think?"

Cody began to laugh. "Not a clue...I never saw it coming..."

"Me either..."

Cody paused. "It is something to think about..."

"Kind of hard not to..."

Cody smiled. "Tell you what though...We have time to think about it later. We have a reservation in Vermont to get to right now..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "Right!"

Cody held up the keys. "You want the wheel or should I take it?"

Bailey grinned. "If I take it, will you tell me where we're going?"

Cody paused. "Good point..." He pocketed the keys. "Let's go!"

Soon enough, Cody and Bailey were on the road and heading north on I-95. After leaving Connecticut, they crossed western Massachusetts and made their way into Vermont. Their impromptu meeting had delayed them getting on the road till almost 3:00 PM, so it was beginning to get dark as they finally diverged from the interstate and onto a two lane road.

"Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"Are you sure you know where we're going?"

"I think so...I'm just following the directions I printed off..."

"Okay, just making sure. Its just that its getting dark and it looks like we're in the middle of nowhere..."

Cody nodded. "Tell you what, why don't you enter the address in the GPS?"

Bailey sighed. "Why didn't I think of that?" She proceeded to enter the address in the GPS, and soon a map appeared on the tiny screen. "Well, it says we are headed in the right direction..."

"Does it say how much further?"

Bailey looked at the screen again. "About thirty more miles..."

Cody paused and laughed. "I have to say...I'm not used to being driving out in the middle of nowhere like this...In Boston, you could drive an hour in any direction and still be in the suburbs..."

Bailey laughed. "City boy...I could drive a mile from my house and this is what it looked like..."

Cody smiled at her. "Okay, farm girl..."

"Uh huh...At least I would know what to do if we broke down out here..."

Cody teased her. "Unless a blizzard began to fall..."

Bailey just stuck her tongue out at him. "Ha ha..."

Cody just began laughing again. "Anyways, I really think your going to like this place..."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. As we can see, its very secluded..."

Bailey teased him. "I can see that...and as I recall, numerous horror movies have started this exact same way..."

Cody teased her right back. "Well, we are out in the woods, so I think we really would only have to worry about guys wearing hockey masks. Then again, we aren't camp counselors, so we should be alright..."

Bailey laughed. "Alright, but if we end up hacked to pieces, I'm going to blame you..."

Cody smiled. "Bails, if anyone came after you with a machete or an ax, they'd have to get through me first..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "I know...Alright, so tell me more about this place. Does it have themed rooms?"

"It does, but we aren't going to be staying in one of them..."

Bailey turned to him in confusion. "So...where are we staying?"

"Well..." Cody looks ahead and sees the sign for the place. "Tell you what, we're here. I'll just show you..."

Cody made the turn into the gravel drive and drove up to the main house. Bailey was going to grab their bags, but Cody told her they would get them later. He took her hand and lead her inside and up to the front desk.

"May I help you?"

"Yes, I believe you have a reservation under the name Martin."

"Let's see...Martin...Martin...Martin...Ahhh, here we are. You have the honeymoon cabin reserved...Let me get you the keys to it."

Bailey turned to Cody. "The honeymoon cabin?"

Cody smiled at her. "Surprise..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: Since some don't know what Skull and Bones are, its a legendary secret society at Yale. Its members are among some of the most powerful people in the country. The society itself is associated with great secrecy and mystery. There was actually a movie made several years ago called _The Skulls_ about it as well as a special on the History Channel.**

**Author's Note 2: I'm heading to the WKU-UK today, so tonight's chapter might be very late. I have to watch my Wildcats beat the heck out of the Hilltoppers (the big red blob like thing that looks like the son of Grimace).  
**


	7. Getting Into Hot Water

_Chapter 7_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The lady working the front desk finally came back over to them and handed Cody the keys.

"Just follow the drive to the right about half a mile and its on you left. Its right on the lake. Alright, dinner will be served in the dining room in an hour. We hope you will join us..."

Cody and Bailey nod and head back out to the SUV. Following the directions, they pull up outside a quaint little cabin nestled in the middle of the woods.

"Oh my gosh! Look at this place, Cody...There isn't anyone else around at all..." She giggled. "You weren't kidding when you said it was secluded..."

Cody laughed. "Told you so...Come on, let's check out the inside..."

They grab their bags and make their way to the front door of the cabin. Cody unlocks the door and opens it. Before Bailey can move though, Cody sweeps her up in his arms and carries her inside.

"Cody!"

"I had to, Bails. Its the honeymoon cabin. It would have been disappointed if I hadn't..."

Bailey just looked at him. "So, you're just doing it for the cabin's sake, huh?"

Cody grinned. "Something like that..."

Cody sat her down and returned to grab their bags to bring them in. As he was doing that, Bailey took the opportunity to look around the cabin. It had one large room with what appeared to be a bathroom off of it. In one corner was a small kitchenette that lead to into a cozy area with a soft plush couch facing a fire place with what appeared to be a bear skin rug (without the head) in between. Over in the other corner was a large four poster bed. Bailey walked over and looked in the bathroom. While the cabin may be very simple, the bathroom was state of the art.

Cody walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Did I do good?"

Bailey smiled as she leaned back against him. "You did great. This place is wonderful. Its a place like this that I can understand why Thoreau spent his time in the wilderness..."

"Maybe he had someone as amazing as you with him that he wanted to keep all to himself?"

"If he did, I imagine she was more than happy to be there if he was anything like you..."

"I can't wait to snuggle with you in front of a roaring fire..."

"Me either..."

"Want to go take a look at our view of the lake from the back porch?"

"I'd love too..."

They walked over to the back door and stepped out on the back porch. The view of the lake was spectacular. And looking around, they saw a wooden hot tub off to the side.

"Look Cody! Wouldn't it be so romantic to take a dip in the tub and gaze out over the lake and up at the stars?"

"It sure would..."

Bailey paused and sighed. "But we didn't pack our swim suits..."

Cody leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Why would we need our swimsuits?"

Bailey turned to Cody and grinned. "Why Cody...You are my wild mustang..."

Cody grinned right back. "I'm not sure how wild I am...A certain filly has tamed me..."

"Well, this filly loves your idea and can't wait for later..."

"Should we go ahead and head back for dinner so we have the rest of the evening to ourselves?"

"I think we should..."

So, with that, they both headed back to the SUV and headed back up to the main house. The dining area was very quaint and had several private tables. They took one in the back and proceeded to have a quiet candlelit dinner. Once finished, they both immediately headed back to their cabin. And as they drove back, it began to snow.

"Cody, its just so beautiful up here..."

Cody looked at Bailey. "Yeah...the scenery is really spectacular..."

Bailey smiled at him and lead him back inside their cabin. Once the door was closed, she pinned him against it, leaned in and kissed him. "That was just a preview for later..."

Cody grinned. "I want more previews then..."

"Why don't you go turn the tub on and we'll see what we can do about that..."

Cody didn't have to be told twice. He immediately dashed out to the back porch and figured out how to turn the hot tub on. Once he was satisfied that it was working and beginning to fill up, he returned back inside. Bailey had gone into the bathroom and retrieved the two plush robes she had seen earlier. She handed one to Cody.

"Here. Something tells me that except for meals, this will be all you will be wearing this weekend..."

Cody couldn't wipe the grin off his face. "Fine with me...The tub is running and filling as we speak..."

"Good..." Bailey winked at him. "Lets slip into our 'suits' then..."

And that's just what they did. Bailey went to pull her hair back into a pony tail, and Cody looked through the kitchenette to see if there was anything in there to help them celebrate. Inside the refrigerator, he found several bottles of complimentary sparkling cider and an assortment of cheeses, fruit and chocolates. Cody grinned and grabbed a bottle and a couple of glasses from a cabinet. As he turned around, Bailey was coming back out of the bathroom.

Cody held out his arm. "Shall we?"

Bailey smiled at him. "Lets..."

Arm in arm, they headed out to the back porch and found the tub is ready for them. Cody set the bottle and glasses on a small shelf and turned back to Bailey. He slipped his robe off and hung it on one of the hooks on the wall there for that specific purpose. After climbing in, he offered his hand to Bailey to help her in. Bailey was still smiling as she removed her robe as well. She couldn't help but notice that Cody's eyes never left her, and she graciously took his hand and climbed in next to him.

"Care for something to drink?"

"I'd love something..."

Cody uncorked the bottle and poured two glasses. He turned back and handed one to Bailey.

"What should we toast too?"

Bailey paused. "To us. To our long and happy life together. And to you. The most amazing guy in the world who is all mine..."

"And to you. The woman who makes me thank God everyday that I'm alive..."

They clink glasses and begin to sip on their sparkling cider.

"Have I told you lately just how beautiful you are?"

Bailey smiled at him. "Everyday. But I will never get tired of hearing it..."

"And I'll never get tired of telling you...Bails, will you be my valentine?"

"You don't even have to ask that. You know I will..."

Cody leaned in and kissed her very passionately.

"Do you have any idea just how much I love you?"

"I hope as much as I love you..."

"And I promise you I will love you even more every day for the rest of our lives..."

This time, its Bailey who leaned in and kissed Cody passionately. To be able to wrap her arms around his neck better, she slipped onto his lap.

"You know...I must be the luckiest woman in the world..."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah...Because I have you. The man I'm madly in love with is madly in love with me too. I could never ask for anything more than that..."

"You can ask for anything you want, and I will do everything in my power to make it happen..."

Bailey smiled. "And I for you as well...But I don't need anything else. As long as I have you, I will have everything I will ever need..."

Cody smiled back at her. "You have me, Bails. Heart, soul and everything else..."

"And my heart and soul are yours as well just as this body is all yours too..."

Cody leaned in and kissed her again. "I love you..."

"I love you too..."

They both leaned in for the kiss this time. And it lasted for quite a long time before they both had to pull back to catch their breath.

Bailey looked into Cody's eyes. "Make love to me...right here...right now..."

"As you wish..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: Like I said, this one was late. And UK beat WKU 63-28**. **I apologize for any errors in this chapter. I tried to edit one last time, but I may have tailgated a tad bit much today...**


	8. Heating Things Up

_Chapter 8_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next morning, the sun began streaming through the windows. Cody and Bailey were intertwined asleep in the bed. Bailey began to stir and looked over and just watched Cody sleep for a little while. She sighed in contentment and silently thanked God again for making him belong to her. Leaning down, she began to place kisses on his cheeks, his neck and his bare chest. Cody began to stir himself, and immediately made sure his lips were on hers.

"Good morning, Codykins..."

"Good morning, Sweetie...Did you sleep well?"

Bailey nodded. "Oh yeah..." She grinned. "Someone wore me out last night..."

Cody grinned. "I know that feeling...I will say, the hot tub was a first for us..."

"I know...What did you think of it?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure my fingers are still pruned, and probably other parts of me are as well...But, I think a hot tub would be something to definitely look for when we get our first house..."

Bailey grinned wider. "So, you enjoyed it as much as I did?"

"Oh yeah...That was hot and not just because of the temperature of the water..."

"I thought so too..."

Cody grinned at her again. "You know, we do have a whole another day to enjoy it again..."

"I know...But I was also thinking of the bear skin rug in front of the fire place..."

Cody leaned down and kissed her again. "Have I ever told you how much I love the way you think?"

Bailey kissed him back. "I can say the same thing about you...the hot tub in our birthday suits was your idea..."

"Something tells me we should get up for breakfast so we have our strength for later on..."

"We will...but first..." Bailey kissed him passionately again, and Cody returned it with just as much passion and intensity.

Pulling back for a breath, Cody laughed. "There's always brunch we can hit instead..."

A couple of hours later, Cody and Bailey did show up for the very end of the brunch buffet to get their fill. The owner just shook her head at them. They weren't the first couple who showed up late, and they wouldn't be the last. And she could always tell why they had been late by the glows emanating off of them.

After brunch, Cody and Bailey decided to go for a walk around the lake on one of the hiking trails. They had considered bringing their skates to go out on the lake, but they realized that the skates would put a lot of pressure on Bailey's ankle. They wanted to make sure her ankle was completely healed before they tried that again.

Halfway around the lake, it began to snow again and the weather began to grow noticeably colder.

"Bails, I think we should start heading back now..."

Bailey nodded. "I agree. I think we could both stand to warm up in front of the fire..."

They both quickly made their way back to their cabin to get in from the warmth. Bailey immediately went to change out of her now wet clothes and wet shoes and socks. Cody walked over to the fire place and put some kindling and wood inside of it. Slowly, he used a fireplace lighter to ignite the kindling in several places. Once he made sure the fire had caught, he stood up and turned around. Bailey was already back in her robe and had Cody's draped over her arm.

"Fire looks cozy..."

Cody smiled at her. "I'll take cozy in an half hour. Right now, I'm looking for warm and drying..."

"Well, change into your robe and let me help you warm up..."

And that's just what he did. Soon, both were curled up on the floor in front of the fire letting themselves warm up and dry out.

"You know, Cody...This kind of reminds me of our cabin on the ship..."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Just the one room with and the bathroom. And its just the two of us without any outside distractions..."

"I can see that. You know, some of my happiest memories are of our times in that cabin..."

"Which ones?"

Cody smiled. "Well, obviously when you agreed to marry me ranks at the top..."

Bailey snuggled back closer into Cody's chest. "What's after that?"

Cody paused. "I would say it was the little things. Doing our homework together...Lying in bed watching a movie on one of our laptops...Getting to wake up next to you every morning..."

"I liked those too..."

Cody leaned down to kiss her neck and whispered in her ear. "And when you surprised me with that white babydoll number on my birthday...Wow..."

Bailey giggled. "You liked that, huh?"

"Oh yeah...My heart was beating so fast, I thought it was going to burst. But, what a way to have gone..."

Bailey turned to face him with a grin on her face. "You know...I have both it and the red one packed here with me..."

Cody grinned right back. "You know as well as I do that if you put one of them on that I would immediately be trying to get it off of you...As amazing as you look in them, I'm kind of partial to the outfit you have on under your robe..."

"But I don't have anything...Ohhh..."

"Exactly..."

"You know, I love the outfit you have on underneath yours as well...I'm rather partial to it too..."

Bailey leaned up and kissed Cody again. This time their kiss lingers, and neither are in any hurry to end it.

Cody smiled at her. "I think it just got a lot warmer in here..."

"I know...I say we make it even hotter..." And with that Bailey and Cody resume their kiss.

A few hours later, they are laying back on the bearskin rug in each others arms. Bailey has her head on Cody's shoulder, and both have the biggest smiles on their faces. Cody is slowly rubbing Baileys back as her hand slowly rubs his chest.

"Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"Add a fireplace to our list of things our first house has to have..."

"Already there...and I think the bearskin rug is growing on me too..."

Bailey giggled. "I know..." She sighed. "Do we really have to go back to civilization tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we do...But now, we know about this place and know to come back when we need to get away..."

"You promise?"

"Of course...Bails?"

"Yeah?"

"You think this is how our honeymoon is going to be?"

"I hope so..." Bailey paused. "Though..."

"What?"

"As much as I have loved every minute here, I wouldn't mind somewhere warmer for our honeymoon..."

Cody nods. "I would agree with that. You know, we should also ask London exactly where the ship will be when we get married..."

"Good idea...We can look for honeymoon places from there...Though it would be nice if it was someplace as secluded as this..." She grinned. "Maybe with a private hot tub again..."

"Bails, if its possible, I will make that happen for you..."

Bailey propped herself up so she could look at Cody. "I know. But all I need for our honeymoon is to be there with you..."

Cody smiled at her. "I love you..."

"I love you too..." She smiled back at him. "Now, our weekend here isn't over yet, and I want to savor every minute we have left..."

"What do you have in mind?"

Bailey grinned. "You go get the hot tub running and I'll grab another bottle of sparkling cider..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: Mind is clearer this morning, but body is sore all over. I guess it can never be said that the Kickin' Chicken doesn't fight back. On the bright side, the smooth Kentucky bourbon did give me inspiration on how I wanted to end the Skull & Bones story. ****So, if it sucks, don't blame me! **_  
_


	9. Back to Reality

_Chapter 9_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Unfortunately, their weekend did have to come to an end. And after breakfast on Sunday morning, they were back on the road heading south. Both took one last wistful look at the cabin as they finally pulled away. Cody and Bailey had immensely enjoyed their weekend of just immersing themselves in their love for one another. But, they had to leave fairly early so they could do their homework when they got home.

Once they had gotten off the two lane road and back onto the interstate, Bailey turned to Cody.

"Well, since we are heading back to the real world, this is as good as time as any to discuss the visit we had on Friday afternoon..."

Cody nodded. "You're right. What do you really think?"

Bailey paused. "To be honest, I'm still not sure what to make of it. I will admit I found it a little creepy that they knew all of that about us..."

"Me too...And I completely agreed with what you said about hazing. I'm not down for anything that would ask us to do something against our beliefs or that would affect our future."

"I wholeheartedly agree. But, on the other hand, I do know this is a great honor just to be considered..."

"That is true. And who knows how serious they are about us anyways? I mean, he just said we were being considered, not that we were a lock or anything..."

Bailey nodded. "That's a good point. So, what should we do about it?"

Cody paused. "Well, we're two fairly open minded people, right?"

"I like to think so..."

"Why don't we just see what happens? They said they would be in touch. If they are, we listen to what they have to say. If not, oh well..."

"Sounds good to me. Besides, we have other things more pressing anyways. We need to check to see how our recommendations are coming along..."

"Yeah, we do. Once those are done, we just have to wait to see if we get any nibbles."

Bailey grinned at him. "Something tells me we will..."

Cody chuckled. "I think you're right, but I don't want to get too overconfident before we hear anything..."

"Probably a good idea...Don't count your chickens before their hatched..."

Cody smiled. "You know how I love it when you speak farm talk..."

Bailey laughed. "I know. Besides, we only have three weeks before we back on the road again..."

Cody turned to her briefly. "We only have three weeks until spring break?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah..."

"Wow...Have we actually been in class any this semester? It seems like we just started a couple of weeks ago..."

Bailey smiled at him. "I know, but after spring break, we only have a month to go after that..."

Cody just shakes his head. "Crazy...Is it just me or have our first three and a half semesters of college flown by?"

"I know...But you know, they say time flies when you're having fun. And beyond our first part of our first semester, we've been having fun..."

Cody grinned at her again. "Even when you broke your ankle?"

"Well, okay...that sucked. But, in retrospect, it could have been a lot worse."

"Yeah, it could have been. I'm glad you are almost 100% again..."

"Me too. But I've loved our college experience. I've made great new friends in Max and Tapeworm, gotten to know Jo and Bill, gotten a top notch education..."

"I know...We're pretty lucky."

As they continued on down the interstate, they again tried out their XM/Sirius. They both actually enjoyed listening to old Howard Stern shows. They may not agree with everything he said, but both had to admit he made some valid arguments about things. Plus, they found him hilarious. After that, they switched over to the '80s channel and were laughing and singing along with numerous hair bands of old.

Finally, they got back to New Haven and back home. Immediately, Porkers was very excited to see them again and followed them around for the longest time as they unpacked the SUV and got re-acclimated to being back home. Soon, they headed to their home office and immediately logged into their AMCAS and VMCAS accounts and discovered all of their recommendations had been received as had their official transcript. With that done, all they had to do was wait to hear from the schools they had applied to. After that, they immediately did their homework for the next day and got it out of the way.

School was back in on Monday, and they resumed their normal routine. They went to their classes, and on Tuesday and Thursday, they went to work. They hadn't heard back from the Skull & Bones since their initial conversation, so both assumed that that was all they were going to hear from them. Neither was all that disappointed though.

On Friday, they went to their classes as usual, and it was a little weird not to go to physical therapy right afterwards. However, with having the entire afternoon to themselves, they resumed their Friday afternoon together time. They had noticed that the Yale Theater Department was having an afternoon matinee of Our Town, so they both went over to check it out. Plus, it didn't hurt that they got in free with their Yale IDs.

It wasn't half bad, but both thought that some of the actors were overacting a little bit. But, they were big fans of Thornton Wilder, so all in all, they enjoyed it. After it was over, they decided to just take a walk through campus on their way back to the apartment.

"Is it just me, or are we the only ones on campus this afternoon?"

Cody paused to look around. "Looks that way. But maybe its just because its late Friday afternoon. Most people probably wanted to get way for the weekend as soon as they got out of class..."

Bailey nodded. "Good point. So, what are our plans for this weekend?"

Cody shrugged. "I don't know. I just know whatever we do can't top last weekend..."

Bailey smiled. "It was pretty amazing, wasn't it?"

"Oh yeah...I wish we were back there right now."

Bailey teased him. "I think you just want to get me back in the hot tub or in front of the fire again..."

Cody nodded and grinned. "I won't deny that ever..."

Bailey looped her arm with Cody's. "Good. But that still leaves us with a quandary of what to do this weekend..."

"Maybe we can give Max and Tapeworm a call and see if they want to do something?"

Bailey shakes her head. "They're heading back to Philadelphia this weekend for her grandmother's birthday..."

"Well...I guess we could always head back to the house and see if the paper mentions anything going on this weekend..."

"We could do that...Or, we could just hang around the house this weekend..."

"You sure?"

Bailey smiled. "Cody, it is late February in New England. Not much we can do outside anyways..."

"Bails, whatever you want to do, I'm fine with..."

"Who knows...Maybe something will come up?"

The made their way back home, and both sat back on the couch letting themselves warm up. Cody was about to grab the newspaper when he felt his cell phone beginning to vibrate. Pulling it out of his pocket, he looked at the display screen and frowned.

Bailey turned to him. "Who is it?"

Cody shook his head. "I don't know...It says PRIVATE..."

"See who it is..."

Cody answered his phone. "Hello..."

"_Cody Martin?"_

"Yes..."

"_And is Bailey Pickett there with you?"_

Cody paused. "Yes..."

"_Good. We are requesting the both of you to be present at a small soiree tomorrow evening at 8:00 at 2354 James Street..."_

"Who is this?"

"_We told you we would be in touch..."_

_To be Continued..._


	10. Entering the Lion's Den

_Chapter 10_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The call just ended, Cody pulled back his cell phone and just stared at it. It seemed as if they hadn't forgot about them after all. Bailey couldn't help but notice the expression on Cody's face.

"Cody, who was it?"

"It was them...Skull & Bones..."

Now, it was Bailey's turn to look surprised. "How did they get your cell phone number?"

Cody shrugged. "No clue. But not really surprising considering everything else they seem to know about us..."

Bailey nodded. "True. What did they want?"

"Our presence has been requested at a 'soiree' tomorrow night..."

"Ohh...Me and my big mouth...Why did I have to say that something may come up?"

Cody reached over to take her hand in is. "Don't worry about it..."

Bailey paused. "So, are we going?"

Cody paused too. "Well, we did say we would listen to what they had to say..."

"We did, didn't we...Did they say what kind of an event this was? A dress code or anything like that?"

Cody shook his head. "No...Whoever was on the phone hung up before I could say anything else..."

"Well, I guess we have plans this weekend now..."

Cody nodded. "You know, they seem to know a lot about us...I say we learn everything we can about them in the next 24 hours..."

"Good idea...Maybe we'll get an idea of what to expect..."

So, the rest of Friday night and Saturday morning, Cody and Bailey searched all over the web for all the information they could about Skull & Bones. Unfortunately, it didn't go quite as well as they had hoped. As it was a secret society, not many members willingly spoke anything about it. Even former President Bush only mentioned it in one sentence of his memoirs, and that was just to say he was a member and couldn't say anything else. Sure, there were a lot of conspiracy theorists who claimed it was an organization that wanted to rule the world, but both Cody and Bailey were leery of taking anything they said as the truth.

Finally, they both sat back and realized that it was a secret society for a reason. No one really knew what it was all about except its members, and none of them had been talking.

Bailey sighed. "So, it looks like we are going into an unknown situation completely blind..."

Cody nodded. "Yeah...That's why its important for us to stick together..."

"I agree...Between the two of us, we should be able to take care of ourselves..."

"I guess its time for us to get ready to head over then..."

"Yeah...What are you going to wear?"

"I was thinking a sport coat, khakis and a tie. Dressy enough but not overly..."

"Okay, I'll go with a simple dress then..."

Both showered and got ready. Once in the car, the entered the address they had been given in the GPS and began following its directions. Soon enough, they found themselves entering a very affluent neighborhood with homes they both assumed were valued well over seven figures. As they pulled up to the address, they found themselves in front of a very posh mansion. Both looked at each other wondering what they had gotten themselves into.

After parking the SUV, they notice the other cars parked around them were either BMWs, Mercedes, high end sports cars or other luxury vehicles. With a little trepidation, they walked up to the front door and rang the bell. An older gentleman who they suspected was a butler opened the door and showed them inside. As he was taking their coats, two people watched them from afar.

"Who is that?"

"That's Bailey Pickett and Cody Martin..."

One of the men grinned. "She certainly is a looker...This could be fun..."

Ty rolled his eyes. "Don't even think about it, Chet..."

Chet still grinned. "Why not?"

"She's taken. Those two are engaged. Both are deeply in love with the other..."

"So...Its like they say...the ring don't mean a thing..."

"You really are an idiot, aren't you?"

"Hardly! I'm about to graduate from Yale, aren't I?"

"Because you're father, the Senator, pulled some strings...Besides, you don't want to mess with her, it won't be pretty..."

"Why do you say that?"

"Our sources say she once neutered a bull with her bare hands...Something tells me she wouldn't hesitate to do the same to you..."

Chet grimaced. "Seriously?"

"Yes. Besides, that would be the least of your worries if you did anything to mess with them..."

"What do you mean?"

"The old guard has been explicit that we do nothing to offend them or make them uncomfortable in the least..."

"Yeah, like who?"

Ty sighed. "Lets just say whoever it is can bring you a world of pain that even your father couldn't save you from..."

Cody and Bailey had just dropped off their coats. Hand in hand they walked in to what seemed like the parlor room. Everyone else there was dressed like they were and seemed as confused as they were with what was going on. They recognized several people as being among the BMOCs around Yale. Both just shrugged and made their way over to the refreshment table. They figured at the least they would get some free food out of this.

As they were standing there looking at the spread, someone came up behind them.

"You must be Bailey Pickett and Cody Martin..."

Both turned to find a blond girl maybe a year or two older than them grinning at them. Bailey spoke up. "Yeah, that's us..."

She immediately shook both of their hands. "I'm Elizabeth Walker...but please, call me Beth. I believe you've both already met my boyfriend, Ty..."

Cody nodded. "Yes, we met him briefly..."

Beth smiled. "I understand you two were on your way to Vermont for Valentine's Day. I hope he didn't delay you too much..."

Finally, Bailey had to ask. "How do you all know all of this about us?"

"Like Ty said, we have our ways...Now, I know it looks very creepy. I admit, I thought the exact same thing last year..."

"But why?"

"We want to make sure we really know the people we bring in...Now, some are legacies and we don't really have a choice, but others, we want to make sure we get the best of the best..."

Cody paused. "But why us though?"

Beth grinned. "Like I said...We want the best of the best...Don't be modest with us. You two have extremely impressive resumes..."

"We do?"

"Lets see...Full scholarships...Albright Award winners...Both are carrying 4.0s with double majors...You both blew the GRE and MCAT out of the water...And, you ran through College Team Jeopardy like a hot knife through butter. And the cherry on top, you humiliated Harvard in the process..."

"But still, I'm sure there are others on campus with resumes just as if not more impressive as ours..."

Beth smiled. "If they do, they are here too..."

Cody sighed. "Help us understand then. What is the point of the Skull & Bones?"

"We believe that those who are going to make a difference in the world need like minded people they can rely on. People who understand their ambition. People you can count on like family. That's what we try to foster around here...a family atmosphere..."

Bailey paused. "Does that mean everyone will respect Cody and my beliefs and values?"

"I can't say everyone, but we aren't here to change you or make you do something you don't want to do..."

Bailey nodded. "Would you mind if Cody and I talked alone for a minute?"

Beth nodded and walked over to others. Cody turned to Bailey. "What do you think?"

_To be Continued..._


	11. Getting to Know the Members

_Chapter 11_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

"What do you think?"

Bailey sighed. "I have no idea. All of this is just so surreal..."

"I know...But at the same time, my curiosity is piqued..."

"I know...Mine is too..."

Cody nodded. "I say we listen to what they have to say, we'll eat some free food, we'll go home and sleep on it, and we can discuss it tomorrow with clear heads..."

Bailey smiled at him. "That sounds like a plan...But Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"Don't even think about leaving my side for a second..."

Cody smiled. "I wouldn't dream of it..."

As they were talking, they were interrupted by someone clinking a glass. Cody and Bailey turned to find the source of the noise, and they saw Ty standing in the middle of the parlor room.

"I would like to officially welcome you all. I know all of you must have a million questions as to what is going on here. Well, I'm sorry to say we can not answer all of those at this time. But, I do congratulate you all on just being here. By your attendance here, it means that you all are the cream of the crop in the Class of 2014. All of you have impressive resumes, and I'm sure all of you will make great contributions to society one day."

He paused to take a sip of his drink.

"I know most of you have heard about Skull & Bones in one way or another. It is our hope that after we have all gotten to know each other, you will have a better idea of what we are all about. However, I'm sure you've all heard the legend of the Tomb and are curious to what all is inside. Well, the only way that will happen is if we formally invite you to join us on Tap Day. Until then, we won't let you in. We have several secrets that we like to have kept. Speaking of which, we request that the fact that we have invited you here as potential members be kept secret as well. You tell anyone, and your chances of becoming one of us are gone..."

He paused for effect and then grinned. "So, in that way, we are like Fight Club..."

That got a bit of a laugh for all in attendance.

Ty continued. "We have invited thirty of you here tonight. Only half of you will officially be invited to become Bonesmen. We are a small group. At any given time, there are less than a thousand living members in the whole world. So, that should tell you something about us upfront. Tonight is a chance for everyone to mingle and get to know each other. Its the end of February right now. Tap Day is right before reading week. So, we have a little less then two months to impress you. Likewise, you have a little less than two months to impress us..."

With that, there was a murmur heard around the room.

"As there are currently fifteen active members and thirty of you, each of of us has been assigned to be sort of a mentor to two of you to help guide you through this process. Shortly, I will be reading off a list of who has been assigned to who. We'll be making an effort to get to know you, I suggest you do the same. Once the lists have been read, just pretend that this is a normal soiree. Alright, for that list..."

Names were starting to be read off. Cody and Bailey were hoping they would be assigned to the same person, but they figured the odds of that were slim. And they were correct. Beth was assigned as Bailey's mentor while Cody's mentor was none other than Ty. Once all the names were read off, Ty and Beth came over to talk them.

Beth smiled at them. "I didn't get a chance to ask you before. How was Vermont?"

Bailey smiled. "It was very romantic..."

Beth playfully elbowed Ty in the ribs. "Maybe we should have brought Cody around sooner. Lord knows some around her could learn how to be more romantic..."

Ty sighed. "Note to self. Vermont is romantic..."

Beth shook her head and turned back to Cody and Bailey. "I have to admit. I find it wild that you two are already engaged..."

Ty nodded. "Yeah. How did you know you were ready?"

Cody smiled. "When you know, you know..."

Bailey nodded. "Exactly. We already knew we wanted to spend our lives together, why put it off? Besides, we're not actually getting married until after we graduate anyways..."

Cody nodded too. "Not that it really matters...we're essentially married in everything but in name as it is now..."

"Wow..." Beth smirked at Ty. "I still haven't even met his parents yet..."

"I told you, you'll get to meet them over spring break..."

Bailey grinned. "Don't feel too bad. We dated for over almost a year before either of us met the other's parents..."

Beth frowned. "Really? That seems kind of odd...I thought you two were high school sweethearts..."

"We were...But we went to high school on a cruise ship. We only saw our families over breaks and on special occasions..."

Ty saw that as an opportunity to change the subject. "Now that sounds fascinating. Traveling around the world during high school..."

Cody nodded. "It was. We've been on adventures together and seen things that not many people our age could ever dream of..."

Ty grinned. "Does that include getting mugged in Tokyo on your anniversary?"

Cody just stared at him in awe. "Yeah...How do you guys know all of this?"

Ty laughed. "That I cannot tell you right now, but this time next year, it may be you two giving people the creeps with what you know about them..."

Cody and Bailey just look at each other.

This time Beth laughed. "Well, we should let you two get back to mingling around. We'll have to get together sometime before spring break. Maybe the four of us could all go out to dinner?"

Bailey paused. "Sure..."

Ty nodded. "Sounds good...You two have fun tonight..."

Once they walked off, Bailey turned back to Cody. "Okay, this is really weird..."

"I know...You would think with all they have on us, they should have no problem finding Osama Bin Laden..."

Bailey couldn't help herself and began to laugh at that. "Good one, Codykins..."

Cody smiled at her. "So, what do you want to do?"

Bailey paused to think. "I say we mingle. I mean, as weird as this is, Beth and Ty do seem somewhat normal...I'm not getting any weird vibes from them..."

Cody nodded. "Me either...But I still say we keep our guard up..."

"Agreed...Alright, lets go mingle..."

Cody and Bailey ventured into the parlor. There were several people they recognized from their pictures in the university newspaper. However, due to their appearance on national television, it was usually others coming up to them to talk about their experience. Cody and Bailey made small talk, and both were quite friendly as they naturally were. To them, all of the current members seemed nice enough, and the pledges so to speak seemed as nervous as they were.

The only current member who they didn't really care for was Chet. One of the current female members warned them that while he was an idiot, he did think he was God's gift. As they evening was winding down, they got to learn that firsthand. After making their goodbyes, Bailey was waiting in the foyer while Cody went to get their coats. As she stood there waiting, Chet approached her.

"Well, if it isn't the Kansas farm girl...I must admit I've never met one before..."

Annoyed, Bailey just nodded. "That's me..."

"I bet bigger cities like this are kind of change for you then..."

"Not really, I lived in Boston for two summers and have been to several of the largest cities in the world..."

Chet grinned. "Well, maybe I could give you my own personal tour of New Haven then?"

Bailey shook her head. "No thank you. I know it quite well by now. My _fiance_ and I have lived here for nearly two years now..."

"I bet I could show you things you've never imagined..."

Bailey sighed. "I seriously doubt that..."

"You'll never know unless..."

Bailey interrupted him. "Look, I have a fiance, and I'm not interested. What do I have to say to get that to sink in?"

Chet just glared at her. "Why you little..."

Before he could finish, Cody had returned with their coats. Noticing the look on Chet's face, he spoke up. "Is there a problem here?"

Bailey shook her head. "No. I was just explaining to this neanderthal that he was wasting his time in talking to me..."

Chet sneered. "No one says no to me..."

Cody stared right back at him. "I believe the lady just did...Now, if you will excuse us, we are leaving..."

And with that, Cody and Bailey walk out the door.

Chet is fuming and turns around to see Ty and Beth standing there. Ty just shakes his head at him. He turned to Beth. "Go after them and try to soothe this over if you can..."

Beth ran out the door and caught up to Cody and Bailey as they were getting to the SUV.

"I want to apologize to you both for that. I assure you that what Chet did is not a representative of what we are as a group. I can assure you that nothing like that will ever happen again. I hope you don't hold what he did against us and will still give us a chance..."

Cody and Bailey look at each other before Bailey turned back towards Beth. "We'll think about it..."

Back inside, Ty was just glaring at Chet. "Did you forget what I told you?"

Chet just looked at him. "What's the big deal? I'm a Bonesman and they are peons...She should have been grateful I graced her with my presence..."

Ty sighed. "Sorry, Chet...I have to let the older guard know what you just did..."

For the first time, Chet looked nervous. "You don't have to do that, do you?"

Ty nodded. "Yes, I do...I'm under strict orders. I warned you and now you will have to deal with the consequences..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: I was watching _Billy Madison_ last night after football was over, and the scene in the school where the principal tells Billy just how wrong he was gave me an inspiration. I'm thinking of writing a one chapter story exploring just how idiotic the idea of the Zack and Bailey pairing is. Any thoughts?**_  
_


	12. Second Impressions

_Chapter 12_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Bailey and Cody are in the SUV driving home. Bailey was still fuming, and Cody was stealing glances over at her as much as he could.

"Bails, are you alright?"

Bailey sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine..." She paused. "Cody, why do some guys have to be such jerks?"

Cody just shook his head. "I don't know, Bails..."

"I mean...I couldn't have been more obvious that I wasn't interested, and he wouldn't buy a clue..."

"Some guys are just idiots..."

"But you're never like that!"

"I try not to be...Being like that just never appealed to me."

"And I thank God everyday for that..." Bailey paused and began to laugh. "I hope you know you've spoiled me..."

Cody turned to her. "What do you mean?"

Bailey smiled. "From the day I've met you, you've been nothing but kind, caring, sweet and compassionate, I guess I just expect that as normal behavior now..." She sighed. "Maybe that's another thing I've taken for granted..."

"Bails, you don't take me for granted. I treated you like a lady because that's the way you deserved to be treated. I treat you like a queen because I love you..."

Bailey reaches over and rubs Cody's leg. "I love you too, Codykins. You know what? Its not my problem. Its all the other girls out there who don't have someone as wonderful as you to call their own."

Cody smiled. "Does that mean you're feeling better?"

"Yeah...You know though, I could almost swear Chet and Theo are related..."

Cody shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time we've seen something like that happen..." He paused. "So, what did you think about what Beth said?"

"I don't know...I'm willing to give them one more shot, but to me, they are on probation..."

"Then they are with me too..." He grinned. "Maybe even double secret probation..."

Bailey laughed. "That seems fitting..."

"Bails, what do we want to do if they do offer us to join?"

Bailey paused. "I don't know. I say we still have some time to figure it out. What do we do if they only want one of us?"

"That's easy. If they pick me and not you, I'll turn them down. Any organization that's dumb enough not to want you is not something I want to be a part of..."

Bailey leaned over and kissed his cheek. "My sentiments exactly. We're a package deal..."

Cody and Bailey returned home and changed out of their dress clothes. Once back in more comfortable pajama pants and t-shirts, they took Porkers outside briefly. Once he was satisfied, the returned back to snuggle on the couch and watch some late night television. As they laid there, Bailey just snuggled in closer to Cody and soon fell asleep. Before long, Cody was asleep along side of her.

They only had two more weeks of classes left before spring break, and they continued to make plans for their trip. Both kept contacting their representatives and senators to try to get scheduled for a White House tour, but as of yet, they still hadn't heard anything back. Both were getting a little concerned with it now coming down to the wire.

Classes continued and everyone on campus was preparing for the second round of exams coming the week before spring break. Cody and Bailey focused on their classes and keeping up to date with their reading and their homework. On the Friday night before exams week, Cody and Bailey received another phone call from Skull & Bones. Ty and Beth were following up with them about getting together before spring break. Cody and Bailey both shrugged and agreed to meet them the next evening.

They showed up at the pre-agreed restaurant and were surprised to see Ty and Beth waiting on them.

"We're glad you two could join us. Again, we want to apologize again for what happened with Chet. I can assure that won't happen again..."

Bailey nodded. "I hope so. He needs to be taught some manners..."

Beth nodded too. "I agree. He was one of those legacies I mentioned to you..."

Ty spoke up. "But like I said, you won't have to deal with him anymore. He...uhh...had a family emergency and had to leave school..."

Cody paused. "Well, no matter how big of a jerk he was, I wish the best to his family..."

Ty nodded. "I agree...Let's talk about something more fun. Spring break is in a week. Do you two have big plans?"

Bailey smiled. "You mean you don't already know?"

Beth laughed. "She's good...Yes, we know you two are off to Washington for a week..."

Ty laughed too. "Any big plans while you're there?"

Cody shrugged. "We just want to see as much as we can. It will be both of our first times there. We've already got passes to the Smithsonian..."

"Yeah...We've been trying to get scheduled for a White House tour and gallery passes, but we've haven't had much luck with our congressmen..."

Ty smiled. "Well, I hope you two hear something back. Those are two things no one should miss in DC. And if I may suggest, if you go to Arlington, wear your most comfortable pair of shoes..."

Cody laughed. "We'll keep that in mind. What about you two? Any big plans?"

"We're stopping to see my parents in Palm Beach before he head to our beach house in the Caribbean for some fun in the sun..."

Beth sighed. "I can't wait..."

Bailey smiled. "The beaches there are beautiful. We stopped there a couple of times while on board..."

"That's right...Since you're both world travelers, where are the best beaches..."

Cody and Bailey looked at each other for a minute.

"Well, I was rather partial to Cape Town, but that may have been because we had been stuck on the ship for over month after a hurricane..."

Bailey nodded. "They were nice. And so were the ones in Rio, but it can be can of dangerous there...Guam was very nice too...And of course Hawaii is a special place to us"

"What places would you recommend we avoid?"

Cody paused. "Well, our impressions of Tokyo are kind of skewed..."

"Other than that, we had good experiences everywhere else..."

Ty nodded. "Well, we want to let you both know that the Skulls are very serious about you both. We're hoping you are considering us seriously as well..."

Cody smiled. "We're keeping an open mind..."

Cody and Bailey had to admit that dinner wasn't bad, and they actually had fun. And as much as they kept trying to find cracks in the armor of Ty and Beth, they still couldn't see anything yet. Of course, neither of them were disappointed to hear that Chet had left school. Though, Cody did wonder about the coincidence of him leaving, he didn't really think much past that.

The next week was exam week, and Cody and Bailey kept themselves busy studying and taking their exams. They still went work on Tuesday and Thursday though. They figured they were going to be off for two weeks for spring break and didn't want to look greedy. On that Friday, both were psyched to be done with school for two weeks. When they got home, they immediately began to get ready to head to DC on Saturday afternoon. Their trip by train would take about six hours, and they had reservations in the dining car that evening.

As they were doing their laundry and getting things together, Cody happened to check his email. One such email surprised him.

"Bails! Come here!"

Bailey made her way into the home office. "What is it Cody?"

Cody smiled at her. "Read this email I just got..."

Bailey looked over his shoulder and skimmed the email. "Oh my gosh!"

"Can you believe this?"

Bailey smiled at him. "Not really, but you don't see me complaining..."

Cody leaned up and kissed her. "Maybe Zack was right? Maybe we do have horseshoes...somewhere on our bodies..."

_To be Continued..._


	13. Hitting the Rails

_Chapter 13_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody and Bailey couldn't believe it. At the last minute, their requests for a White House tour and gallery passes had come through. The email explained that their passes would be waiting at them at the front desk of the Washington Tipton when they checked in. With that settled, all they had to do was get packed and be at the train station before their train left the next day at 3:00 PM. Dr. Ryan had graciously offered to put Porkers up at the animal hospital for the week, so that was taken care of as well.

The next day, they dropped Porkers off before they returned back to the apartment. Instead of leaving the car at the train station, they had a cab pick them up. Once the cab arrived, they were off. They arrived at the station an hour early and got settled in to wait for their train to arrive. About 2:45, the train did pull into the station, and they boarded. Once they found their compartment, they stowed their bags and settled in. At 3:00, the train pulled out of the New Haven Station. As it was both of their first ever train trips, they settled in to enjoy the ride. Besides, they had four hours to waste until their reservation in the dining car.

So, they just sat there snuggled up next to each other watching the scenery pass them by. Fortunately, the train would only be making two stops between New Haven and Washington – New York and Philadelphia. By the time it was 7:00 and time for their dinner reservation, they were passing through Philadelphia.

As they sat at their table in the dining car, Cody turned to Bailey.

"So, what do you think?"

Bailey who had been looking out the window, turned back to Cody. "About what?"

"Philadelphia...If we get in to Penn, we'll be living here for four years..."

Bailey nodded. "That's right..." She smiled. "Well, I can't say I can really tell much about it from the window of a speeding train..."

Cody laughed. "True...I guess we would have to take a better look at the city if this is where we decide to come..."

"Yeah...If we did come here, we would definitely be on our own though. We wouldn't have Max and Tapeworm a couple of blocks away...Zack, Cassie, Addison and Woody a little over an hour away...and Boston wouldn't be a couple of hours anymore..."

Cody nodded. "True..." He grinned. "But, we still only be an hour away from London..."

Bailey laughed. "Yeah, we would. I know Philly is a very historic place, but the city itself I don't know much about..."

Cody laughed again. "Well, it is the city that once booed and threw snowballs at Santa Clause..."

Bailey's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you serious?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah...They take their sports seriously around here. Of course, Philly and Boston were never really rivals in anything, so I never had much of a beef with any of their teams..."

Bailey smiled. "Well, if this is the city that made Rocky a boxing champion, it can't be all that bad..."

Cody smiled. "True...Those were four pretty good movies..."

"Weren't there six of them?"

Cody sighed. "I like to pretend the last two never happened...To me, once he knocked out Drago, that was the end of the series..."

Bailey just smiled at him. "Whatever you say, Codykins..."

Dinner was actually pretty good. It was much better than any food that had on an airplane. Well, except for the meal they had on the Tipton private jet back to Capetown, but that didn't really count. And they actually got to eat without their ears constantly popping. In fact, it was a very romantic setting. Both knew this wouldn't be their last train trip.

At about 9:30, the train pulled into Union Station, and Cody and Bailey disembarked. Rolling their bags behind them, they found the escalator down to the Metro station. They had already checked to see which stop they needed for the Washington Tipton and were looking at the big map on the wall to find out how to get there. Once they had that figured out, they went to the wall of ticket machines and went ahead and bought seven day passes. That taken care of, they passed through the turnstiles and to escalator down to the platform.

"Whoa..."

Bailey turned to Cody. "What?"

Cody was looking around. "I didn't know we had just entered the bat cave..."

Bailey had to giggle as it certainly did resemble just that. "Well, as long as you avoid comparing me to the Joker and Penguin again, we should be alright..."

Finally, their train arrived, and they rode it until they had to transfer away from the red line. Once on the next train, it was just a matter of waiting. Both felt safe enough, but didn't want to be alone on the train too late at night. When they pulled into their station at 10:30, both were glad to be there. They made their way up to the street level and found themselves right outside the Washington Tipton.

Making their way inside, they checked in and got the packet waiting for them at the front desk. They found their room easily, and both began to unpack. Since it was already late, they decided to spend the rest of the evening pulling out their guide book and planning what they wanted to see the rest of the week. By the time they were done, they had an itinerary for the rest of the week.

Bailey was looking over it one last time as they laid in bed together.

"I think this looks good. Tomorrow, we hit all of the monuments we want to see. Monday is the White House tour and then on to Arlington Cemetery. Tuesday and Wednesday are Smithsonian days. Thursday is spending the day on Capital Hill. And Friday is they day for us to see everything we missed the first couple of days. Saturday, we head home..."

Cody nodded. "Yeah. Should be a lot of fun..."

Bailey turned to him and grinned. "And Friday is our anniversary too. I can't wait to show you what I have planned..."

Cody smiled. "Me either...I'm sure I'll love it..."

Bailey put their itinerary on the night stand and cuddled in closer to Cody. "I'm really glad we decided to come here for spring break..."

Cody leaned in and kissed her neck. "Me too. We have a beach 15 minutes from our apartment anyways..."

"I know...and most of the other places will just be filled with drunk college students..."

Cody grinned. "Saving that for us next year?"

Bailey laughed. "Hardly. Neither one of us will still be 21 by then anyways..."

"Wouldn't matter if we went somewhere out of the country..."

Bailey turned to face Cody. "Is that what you want to do?"

Cody shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. I mean, three months after next spring break will be our honeymoon anyways..."

Bailey nodded. "That's true...We really do need to find out where the ship is going to be then..."

Cody nodded. "Hopefully in international waters..."

"Yeah...So our friends of ours like Cassie who won't be 21 by then would be able to join us in toasts..."

Cody shudders.

Bailey smiled at him. "What?"

"That reminds me...Zack will be giving the best man speech. That actually scares me..."

Bailey laughed. "Its okay, Sweetie...I mean, he can't say anything that bad, can he?"

Cody just looked at her.

Bailey sighed. "You're right...What was I thinking?"

Cody leaned down and kissed her. "Its okay...You know what, it won't matter..."

"Yeah?"

"By the time he does, you will be my wife, and that's what will be important to me..."

Bailey leans in and kisses him back passionately. "That is very true..."

Cody grinned at her. "Would I be living up to spring break tradition by trying to hook up with my fiancee tonight?"

Bailey grinned right back. "Who are we to break tradition?"

Cody leaned in and kissed her again before pulling back for air. "I can think of a few I will be breaking though..."

"What are those?"

"This isn't a one night or one week thing...And I will definitely call you the next day..."

Bailey giggled. "You better..."

"And there is the other big one..."

"What's that?"

Cody smiled. "That when I tell you I love you, its because I actually mean it..."

Bailey teased him. "You sure you aren't just trying to get into my pants?"

Cody lifted the covers and teased right back. "What pants?"

Bailey laughed. "Come here, you!"

_To be Continued..._


	14. Seeing the Sights

_Chapter 14_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next morning, Cody and Bailey bucked another spring break tradition and were up early. After showering, dressing and grabbing a quick breakfast, they were off. They boarded the Metro again and made their way towards the National Mall and the monuments. The first stop was the one away from the others – the Jefferson Memorial. Once there, they explored it hand in hand and took their time in reading all the inscriptions. They also took plenty of digital pictures of the memorial. On a lark, they decided they would take a picture of them kissing in front of the statue of Jefferson. Finally, they decided it was time to move on.

The next stop was the Holocaust Memorial Museum. What they saw there was very disturbing. The fact the man could do what the pictures depicted to other people sent shivers down both their spines. It wasn't surprising to either of them to see several people crying and turning away in horror from several exhibits. As both walked out of the museum, both knew what they had seen would stay with them both for a long time.

Moving on, they made their way to the Washington Monument. Both got several pictures of it from several angles.

"Come on, Cody...lets go to the top of it and see the view. Its the tallest structure in Washington..."

"Are you sure, Bails? It has 897 stairs to the top. Are you sure your ankle is up for that?"

Bailey smiled. "Only one way to find out...Besides, if it makes you feel better, we'll take the elevator..."

Cody nodded. "Okay, lets do this..."

They did end up taking the stairs up because the line for the elevator was ridiculously long. Both prided themselves for being in good shape, but both were winded by the time they reached the top. However, the view of Washington made them forget that. They took several pictures of the view, including another one of them kissing from the top. On the way down, they did decide to take the elevator. The walk up was enough of a workout for one day.

The next stop was the World War II Memorial. The walked around and just took everything in. They took even more pictures. However, one thing they saw they lingered on. They bought a single rose and placed it in front of the memorial for the soldiers from the state of Washington in honor of Great Uncle Tommy. Another picture was taken that they planned on sending to Ellie and Great Uncle Mitch.

Next, they visited the FDR Memorial. They walked around and read the various inscriptions and took pictures of the various statues. Both agreed it was a fitting tribute to who they both considered one of the best presidents in the country's history.

After that was the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. They both had family members who had been lost in both wars, and they took their time trying to find their names. Once they did find them, they took more pictures to send back to their families.

The final stop on the National Mall was the Lincoln Memorial. Both took their time exploring it and reading the inscriptions of the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's second inaugural address. They took pictures of everything, including another picture of them kissing in front of Lincoln's statue. They even checked to see if some of the urban legends were true. Both had to admit that Lincoln's hands did appear to be formed in the shape of a sign language "A" and "L". They also checked to see if there was the profile of Robert E. Lee in Lincoln's hair. Before they left, they took pictures of where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" Speech and several of the view of the Reflecting Pool.

By the time they left, it was getting late in the afternoon, and they decided to make one last stop before heading back to the hotel. They wanted to see the Iwo Jima Memorial. By the time they took even more pictures and saw of it what they wanted to see, they were off.

On the Metro ride back to the hotel, both were slouched in their seats worn out.

"Cody, what would I have to do to get a foot rub when we get back to the hotel?"

Cody turned to her. "I'll give you one if you give me one..."

"Deal..."

"The tub in our room is a jacuzzi tub too...Maybe that would feel good too?"

"Heavenly..."

"Then we'll head back to room, relax and recuperate, and then figure out what to do for dinner then..."

And that's just what they did. Foot rubs and a therapeutic dip followed once they got back in the room. After a while, they decided on ordering room service because the next day would be a long day of walking too. After dinner, they both soon fell asleep.

The next morning found them up early again and at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue at 8:00 AM. As they waited outside the gate for their tour, Bailey noticed something.

"Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"Today's Monday, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

Bailey pointed. "Then why does that sign say that White House tours are only given Tuesday through Saturday?"

Cody read the sign, but he had no answer to her question. He pulled out their confirmation letter and read it again.

"It says right here our tour is on Monday morning at 8:30..."

Bailey sighed. "Do you think we were scammed?"

Cody paused. "I don't know...but if we were, I'm so sorry, Bailey..."

"Its okay, Cody..."

Before they could say anything else, a secret service member approached them. Well, they thought it was a secret service member. He had the usual black suit, white shirt, black tie, dark sunglasses and ear piece.

"Bailey Pickett and Cody Martin?"

They turned. "Yeah, that's us..."

He kept his stoic demeanor. "Do you have identification?"

"Yes, of course..." Both pulled out their driver's licenses and Yale student ID cards..."

"Very well, come with me..."

Bailey and Cody were both getting a little frightened now. "Are we in trouble?"

"Just follow me..."

Cody and Bailey did what they were told and just followed the secret service agent. He lead them into an entrance into the West Wing and opened a door and told them to wait inside. Silently, Cody and Bailey complied. Both, still being a little confused about everything, finally figured out where they were.

"Cody..."

"I know..."

"We're in the Oval Office!"

"I noticed..."

"What are we doing in the Oval Office?"

"Bails, your guess is as good as mine. Something really weird is going on here..."

"I know...Do you have connections to the Massachusetts senators I didn't know about?"

"If I do, I didn't know about them either...What about you and the Kansas senators?"

"Not that I'm aware of either..."

"Bails, to quote Hamlet, something is rotten in the state of Denmark..."

Before Bailey can respond, they are interrupted.

"Welcome to the White House!"

Both turn and see a woman in her late forties.

"My name is Pam, and I will be your personal tour guide today..."

Bailey was confused. "Personal tour guide?"

Pam smiles. "Of course. You two must know someone pretty high up to get your own private tour..."

Bailey and Cody just look at each other.

"If you follow me, we'll get started. I do have to say the no photography is allowed though. And unfortunately, the first family is out of the country today, so you won't get to meet them. But with them away, you'll get to see everything including the private quarters which is usually off limits."

Again, Cody and Bailey just looked at each wondering what exactly was going on. But they didn't have time to stand and wonder as Pam was off. They quickly followed behind her as she made her way through the West Wing. She took them through the President's study, the Roosevelt Room, the offices of the Chief of Staff and Vice President, the Cabinet Room and the Press Briefing Room.

Moving on, they were taken to the main part of the building and saw the Map Room, the China Room, the Diplomatic Reception Room, the Vermeil Room and the Library. Along with that, they were shown the various portraits of the Presidents hanging in the halls. Next, they were lead upstairs to the State Floor where they were shown the State Dining Room, the Red Room, the Blue Room, the Green Room and the East Room as well as the South Portico.

Finally, they were taken up to the private residence floor where they saw the President's Bedroom, the President's Dining Room, the Treaty Room, the Queen's Bedroom and the Lincoln Bedroom. And as a shock to the both of them, they were allowed to walk out on the Truman Balcony. And while they were there, they had another surprise – the first dog, Bo ran out to meet and lick them.

The last thing they were shown was the East Wing where normal guests and visitors enter. And this is where they were escorted out of the building. They had just spent three hours on a private tour of the White House.

Bailey was still in shock. "Cody...How did that just happen?"

Cody paused. "I have no idea...unless...Do you think the Skulls had anything to do with it?"

Bailey just looked at Cody not sure what to think.

_To be Continued..._


	15. More Things To See

_Chapter 15_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody and Bailey were sitting on a bench in Arlington National Cemetery. Cody was on the phone and nodding as he listened to someone speak. Finally he closed his phone and sighed.

"What did London say?"

"Her dad went to Harvard and never attended Yale..."

Bailey paused. "Cody, this makes no sense whatsoever..."

"I know, Bails..."

"If Wilfred Tipton isn't behind this, then who is?"

"And if he isn't, why are the Skulls doing so much for us? I don't get it..."

Bailey shook her head. "Me either. Mr. Tipton is the only person I can think of that we know who would have this kind of influence..."

"So, what do we do?"

Bailey shrugged. "I don't know...I'm almost to the point of letting the Boston Holmies investigate..."

Cody smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Tell you what. We're not in New Haven right now. Why don't we just enjoy the rest of our spring break here and figure it out when we get home..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "Yeah, I guess we can do that..."

"What do you say we go watching the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?"

"I'd like that..."

Cody and Bailey proceeded to do just that. After witnessing that and taking numerous pictures, they began to walk around the cemetery to see other prominent graves. They took several pictures of the Memorial to the USS Maine and the Memorials to the Space Shuttle Challenger and Space Shuttle Columbia.

From there, they went to the grave of former President Taft before making their way to the Kennedy graves. There, they saw and took pictures of the final resting places of John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Ted Kennedy as well as the Eternal Flame. Cody in particular took time to observe the graves as he felt a kinship to them as sons of Massachusetts.

After spending several hours in the cemetery, they both decided to call it a day and made their way back to the Metro station. The returned to their hotel for a nap before heading out into the city for dinner at a restaurant that Chef Paulo had recommended to them. Of course, Chef Paulo's tastes were once again right on the money and the meal was excellent. Instead of heading back to the hotel immediately, they decided to take a walk through downtown and just see enjoy the evening.

Finally, they did return to their hotel to unwind from an interesting day. As they laid in bed together, they just talked.

"So, think anything out of the ordinary will happen tomorrow?"

Bailey sighed. "I hope not. I just want a leisurely day of going through the Smithsonian..."

Cody leaned in and kissed her neck. "Where do you want to start tomorrow?"

Bailey sighed again but this time in contentment. "How about the American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery?"

"Sounds good to me...then we can hit a late lunch and move on to another one..."

"How about Air & Space and then save Natural History and American History for the day after?"

"Fine with me...But for right now, I more focused on the work of art laying right next to me..."

Bailey giggled. "Cody..."

"Don't blame me...You're irresistible..."

Bailey turned to face him. "Is that so?"

Cody leaned in to kiss her shoulder blades. "Uh huh..."

Bailey took the opportunity to roll on top of Cody and pin his shoulders to the mattress. "Let me show you who the irresistible one around here is..." She proceeded to lean down and kiss him passionately.

The next morning, both woke up with big smiles. Breakfast took a little longer than usual as they both were starving. But soon enough, they were on their way back to the National Mall. They spent the morning going through the art museum and portrait gallery. Again, they took their time and walked at a leisurely pace. After noon, they decided to head over to Air and Space and grabbed lunch first.

After that, they walked around and looked at numerous exhibits. They saw the Spirit of St. Louis, the Enola Gay and the Wright Brothers first plane. Beyond that, they they various capsules from the Gemini and Apollo space missions. Both just walked around in complete awe and fascination. And of course, they took many pictures. It was a good thing they uploaded their pictures to their laptops every night or they would have run out of memory by then. At 5:30, they left because the museum was closing and they had to leave.

The next day was more of the same. They spent the morning in the Museum of Natural History. They began with the Hall of Human Origins before making their way to the Hall of Mammals and Hall of Dinosaurs. Late in the morning, they were in the Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals. As they were looking around, Cody smiled.

"Want to have some fun?"

Bailey smiled. "What do you have in mind?"

"Watch and learn..." Cody took out his cell phone and took two pictures.

"Cody, what are you doing?"

Cody grinned. "I just took pictures of the Hope Diamond and the Star of Asia Sapphire and sent them to London..."

Bailey began laughing. "You know you're going to blow her mind with those..."

After another quick lunch, they were off to the American History Museum. Cody and Bailey had an absolute ball there. They saw everything from the original Star Spangled Banner to George Washington's Uniform to Lincoln's Top Hat. They saw the first Kodak camera to the Morse Telegraph Key to the Greensboro Lunch Counter. They even saw Dorothy's ruby slippers, the Fonz's jacket and the puffy shirt from Seinfeld. They could have spent days just walking around and looking at everything. And they kept taking picture after picture. And like the day before, they practically had to be kicked out at closing time.

That night, they tried yet another restaurant that Chef Paulo had recommended. And again, Chef Paulo knew what he was talking about.

"Cody, can you believe its already Wednesday night? Feels like we've just got here and there is so much to see..."

Cody nodded. "I know...But just think, years from now, we'll be able to bring our own kids back here and share it with them..."

Bailey smiled. "I can't wait for that..."

"Me either...I have thought of a few things to add for Friday though..."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"The Pentagon and Ford's Theater..."

Bailey nodded. "Good calls..."

"Tomorrow should be fun on Capitol Hill..."

"I know...We have our gallery passes. I just hope some of our Congressmen are actually in to meet them..."

Cody nodded. "I just wish Ted Kennedy was still around. I would have loved to meet him..."

And the next day was their day on Capitol Hill. They visited the offices of the Senators from Kansas and Massachusetts and actually got to meet one from each. And they visited their Representatives, but neither were in the office at the time. While they were in the office buildings, they decided to walk across the street and tour the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court.

"Can you imagine what it would have been like to be here to hear the arguments for _Roe v. Wade_ or _Brown v. Board of Education_?"

Cody nodded. "It must have been something..."

Bailey smiled. "Do you ever rethink your decision not to go to law school? You could have been a justice one day..."

Cody shrugged. "Nah...Hopefully, I still be making a difference..." He grinned. "Plus, like you say, I tend to ramble and who would want to read my opinions anyways?"

"I would...I know they would be articulate and brilliant..."

Cody smiled at her. "Thanks...How about we go over and sit in the galleries and see the House and Senate?"

"Sounds good to me..."

And that's what they did. They viewed the House Chamber and noticed it was a lot bigger than it looked on TV. The Senate Chamber wasn't as big, but it was still impressive all the same. It was late afternoon and they were walking through Statuary Hall looking for the statutes from their home states. Quickly, they found Samuel Adams and Dwight D. Eisenhower. John Winthrop and John James Ingalls took them a little while longer to find.

As they were heading out, they heard a voice.

"Well, if it isn't Cody Martin and Bailey Pickett..."

They turned around and were surprised at who they saw. "Chet?"

_To be Continued..._


	16. On the Run

_Chapter 16_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

"Chet? What are you doing here?"

Chet just glared at them. "Why do you think?"

Cody paused. "No idea. All we heard is you left school due to a family emergency..."

Chet laughed. "Is that so? Let me guess, it was Ty who told you that, right?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah..."

Chet sneered. "Well, that was a lie! I didn't leave school voluntarily. I was forced to leave. Seems some of the old guard took a special shining to the both of you. Ty said you two were not to be messed with. Obviously, they were dead serious and didn't take kindly with my flirting with the country bumpkin there..."

Cody glared at him. "Sounds like your problem, not ours..."

"Oh, I'm going to make it your problem! Thanks to you two, I've lost everything...My graduation to Yale? Gone! My grades are under review now. My admission to Harvard Business School...Gone! The cushy job I had lined up afterwards...Gone! My trust fund...Frozen! My father can't even help me anymore! Seems like someone has some blackmail they are threatening to give his opponent in the primary if he helps me now!"

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Again, not our problem. We didn't ask you to be a complete jerk. I told you I wasn't interested, but you were too stupid to understand it..."

Chet glared at her again. "My life as I knew it my be over now, but I'm not going down alone..."

Cody wasn't particularly afraid of Chet, but he knew to be cautious. "Well, it won't be us..."

"That's what you think! I may have lost everything, but I do still have some tricks up my sleeve...Namely, several of my old friends from boarding school work around here. I called in a few favors, and it seems like you two are soon going to be national security threats..."

"I seriously doubt that...We haven't done anything to even remotely be considered national security threats..."

Chet had an evil grin. "You soon will...Thanks to modern technology, it will look like you two were up to no good in the Library of Congress and Supreme Court..."

Bailey rolled her eyes again. "You're bluffing!"

"Am I?" Chet nodded over his shoulder and Cody and Bailey could see two officers of the capital police force walking towards them rapidly.

Cody and Bailey just looked at each other.

"Bails...This doesn't look good at all..."

"I know..." Bailey grabbed Cody's hand. "We need to get out of here and figure out what to do..."

Cody and Bailey quickly made there way to the nearest exit and ran down the steps of the capital. They kept running until both couldn't go any further and their sides begin to hurt.

Cody turned to Bailey. "What just happened?"

Bailey shook her head as she tried to catch her breath. "I have no idea. And what did he mean about the old guard favoring us?"

"No clue...And we know now it wasn't Wilfred Tipton, so I don't know of anyone else who would have that kind of power..."

"Me either..."

"Right now, that's not our biggest problem. Chet's ticked off and we may be wanted fugitives right now!"

Bailey sighed. "I know...What do we do?"

Cody paused. "Well, if the Skulls got us into this mess, they can figure out a way to get us out of it!"

Quickly, he pulled out his cellphone and began searching his contacts.

"Cody, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to call Ty!"

Cody began dialing and he waited as he heard the phone ringing. "Damn...Voice mail..." He paused. "Ty! Its Cody and Bailey, we're here in Washington and guess what? Chet is here and seems like he's pretty pissed off! He's trying to set us up to look like we are threats to national security! And he's babbling on about something about an old guard favoring us and costing him everything! Call me back!"

Cody closed his phone again. He turned and saw a very frightened Bailey. Cody sighed and pulled her into his arms. "Don't worry, Bails...We'll think of something..."

"But what, Cody? I'm sure by now Chet has gladly volunteered our names, so soon, they will know where we're staying. We can't go back to the hotel!"

Cody just rubbed her back soothingly. "You're right. We'll have to figure out something else..."

Bailey pulled back. "But Cody, what? We don't know anyone here in DC and we don't even have our car here!"

Cody nodded. "I know...Right now, we need to find someplace to hide while we think of what to do. And being out here in the open isn't a good idea..."

"Again, where do we go?"

"The Metro station...We can blend in down there with the rush hour crowds..."

Bailey thought and nodded. "Yeah, that might work..."

Both quickly looked around trying to find a metro station or at least a sign pointing to one. Finally, Cody saw one.

Cody grabbed Bailey's hand. "Come on, this way..."

Cody lead Bailey over behind a group of people walking in the direction they were going and tried to blend into the back of the group. If they had any luck left, they could just break away from the group at the last minute and slip down the escalator into the station. Unfortunately, they weren't that lucky. The group broke into a different direction about fifty yards from the metro entrance. Cody sighed and he and Bailey began running towards the entrance. They hoped people would just think they were running to catch a train.

Once down in the station, they found a bench off to the corner to sit down, rest and think.

"Cody, I think we should call London..."

"What can she do?"

"She can call her father and maybe he can help us?"

Cody paused. "Maybe, but what if she can't get a hold of him? You know how impossible he is to get a hold of..."

Bailey paused to think. "That's true and that would do us no good..." She sighed. "Its too bad we don't know someone who goes to George Mason or Georgetown or..."

Cody turned to her. "Georgetown..." He sighed this time. "We do know someone who goes to Georgetown..."

Bailey's eyes lit up. "Yeah? Who?"

"Reina..."

Bailey slumped back dejected. "She would sell us...well, especially me...out in a heartbeat..."

Cody shook his head. "And I won't let that happen..."

Bailey gave Cody a sad smile. "Thanks, Sweetie..."

"Tell me some other colleges here in DC. If we knew one, maybe we'll know another..."

"Well, other than George Mason and Georgetown, there is George Washington, American, Howard..."

Cody turned to her. "Wait! What was that last one?"

"Howard..."

Cody grinned. "We do know someone else!"

"Who?"

"I'll explain on the way. First, we need to find out how to get there!"

Cody lead Bailey over to a large map of the metro and both quickly figured out how to get to Howard University. Grabbing the next train, they made their way towards the campus. Once they did arrive on campus, they slipped into the school library and asked to see a campus directory. Bailey could only watch as Cody quickly skimmed through it. She couldn't help but notice his face light up, and she hoped that meant that he found what he was looking for. Cody quickly wrote something down and then flipped to a map of the campus in the front of the book. Before Bailey knew what was going on, Cody had grabbed her hand and lead her back out of the library.

Staying as hidden as possible, they finally arrived at a dorm and made their way inside. Climbing the steps, they came upon a dorm room. Quickly, Cody knocked on the door.

Bailey was still confused about what was going on. The door finally opened, and she saw a young woman standing there.

"Cody? What are you doing here?"

"Nia, we need your help!"

_To be Continued..._


	17. In Hiding

_Chapter 17_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Nia just looked at Cody in confusion, and then she noticed he wasn't alone. There was a young woman standing next to him holding on to his arm for dear life.

"Cody, I think you better get in here and tell me what's going on..."

Cody nodded and lead Bailey into the dorm room with him. Once inside, Nia closed the door behind them.

"Alright, start from the beginning and tell me everything..."

"First of all, Nia, this is my fiancee, Bailey Pickett. Bails, this is Nia Moseby, Mr. Moseby's niece..."

A flash or recognition came across Bailey's face. "Oh, okay...You're Nia, Cody and Zack have told me all about you...And your uncle has mentioned you several times as well."

Nia nodded. "And he's mentioned you as well...well, that and all the emails Cody sent me about you from the ship..." She paused. "Alright, you said you were in trouble. What's going on?"

Cody and Bailey give Nia the abridged version including Chet trying to set them up and running away. They neglected to mention the Skulls, but did say they called someone who would know why Chet was after them.

Nia just shakes her head. "Dang. This sounds like something Zack would get caught up in..."

Cody nods. "I know. But you're the only person we knew in DC that we thought we could trust..."

"Have you heard back from that other dude yet?"

Cody shakes his head. "Nothing..."

Meanwhile, down in the Caribbean, Ty and Beth have just come in from a day on the beach. Both's tans are now more evident, and both begin to relax feeling the air conditioning in the beach house.

Beth shivered. "I think I need to go grab a shower...I think I have sand everywhere..."

Ty grinned at her. "Everywhere, huh?"

Beth just laughed at him. "Unfortunately, I think I do..."

"Even more unfortunate, I don't think you are the only one who does..."

"Maybe you should join me in the shower then?"

"Don't have to ask me twice..."

He begins to follow her out of the kitchen when they both hear a beep.

"What was that?"

Ty sighed. "That's my cell phone telling me I have a message. Forget about it..."

Beth paused. "Maybe you should check to make sure. You never know, it could be important..." She grinned. "Besides, it will take what? 30 seconds?"

Ty nodded. "True..."

He turns back around and grabs his phone and presses the voicemail button. As the message plays, his eyes grow wide and a look of horror forms on his face.

"Ty? What is it? Is everything okay?"

Ty shakes his head. "No...Here, listen to this..." He turns on the speaker phone and pressed the voicemail button again.

"_Ty! Its Cody and Bailey, we're here in Washington and guess what? Chet is here and seems like he's pretty pissed off! He's trying to set us up to look like we are threats to national security! And he's babbling on about something about an old guard favoring us and costing him everything! Call me back!"_

Beth gasps and brings her hand up to her mouth. "Oh no!"

Ty shakes his head. "Damn it, Chet...I warned him about them and then told him their would be consequences for his actions..." He sighs. "I have a phone call to make and something tells me no one will want to be in Chet's shoes soon..."

"Who are you going to call?"

"Him..."

"Him?"

Ty looks at her. "_Him _Him..."

"Ohhhh..."

Back in Nia's dorm room, both Nia and Bailey watch as Cody is on his phone and pacing again. Cody sighs and closes his phone again. He turns to Nia and Bailey.

"Busy signal..."

Bailey sighed. "So, what do we do now?"

Nia shrugged. "Well, my roommate has already left for our spring break next week, so you're more than welcome to hide out here for a while..."

Cody smiled. "Thanks, Nia. We appreciate it..."

Nia paused. "There is one small problem though..."

"What's that?"

Nia began to chuckle. "Cody, this is an all girls dorm. Bailey will be fine, but you'll stick out like a sore thumb..."

"Ohhh..."

Bailey sighed. "Looks like we are stuck inside here for a while then..."

Nia paused and grinned. "Not necessarily..."

Cody turned to her. "What do you mean?"

Nia sized Cody up and down. "What are you? About a size 6?"

"Huh?" Cody just looked at her before he realized what she was thinking of. "Oh no!"

Bailey got up to rub Cody's back. "Come on, Codykins...This way we may be able to get around undetected..."

"But Bails..."

"Please, Codykins?"

Cody sighed and closed his eyes. "Fine...but I'm not shaving my legs..."

Across town, Chet was sitting in an office with a friend of his. Both were laughing about what they had just pulled off.

"Man, that was classic...Just like old times..."

"Yeah...What did those two do to you anyways?"

Chet frowned. "They ruined my life. And the girl thought she was too good for me..."

His buddy teased him. "Dude, you've been shot down before..."

"Not by someone like that though. She showed me no respect at all..."

"What's your plan now?"

Chet paused. "I don't know. My family has a beach house over off the coast. I may head over there and crash for a few days before I figure out what to do next..."

"Those guys really screwed up your future, huh?"

"Yeah. I didn't think they were so serious about everything..."

"What do you mean?"

Chet shrugged. "I was warned not to mess with those two, but I didn't think it was such a big deal..."

"Sounds like you should have listened..."

Chet glared at him. "Shut up!"

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Chet's buddy got up to answer it. At the door, he found two men in dark suits and sunglasses.

"I'm Agent Jones and this is Agent Smith. You're the one who called in the tip about a national security threat?"

"Yeah, that's me..."

"We need you both to come with us. We need to get both of your statements..."

Chet looked up. "Those two will get what they deserve right?"

Agent Smith turned to him. "Believe me, we will make sure someone pays..."

_To be Continued..._


	18. Codina and Haley

_Chapter 18_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Nia and Bailey both stood there trying their hardest not to laugh. But Cody still glared at them. He turned and looked at himself in the mirror. The brunette wig he wore made him look different. Aside from a very brief period of being a redhead, he had been a blond his whole life. His face was pretty much the same except for the eye shadow, rouge and lipstick the girls had insisted would make it more realistic. A scarf was tied around his neck as they figured they needed to hide his Adam's Apple.

While he didn't like that, what else they did was worse in his mind. They had found a blouse that would fit him, and Cody had felt that was bad enough. But both Nia and Bailey said something was missing. Nia had an idea and came back out of her closet with a new bra. Bailey immediately nodded her agreement in that's what was missing. When Cody saw that, he felt like crying. So, in the mirror, he could only look at the rolled up sock created breasts he had. He just shook his head. At least the skirt they had found for him was ankle length and he avoided having to shave his legs. And since his feet were so much bigger, he got to keep his own shoes.

Sighing once more, he turned back to them. "Not a word to anyone about this ever! Especially to Zack!"

Nia grinned at him. "Awww...I think you look adorable..."

Bailey grinned too. "She's right, Codykins..."

Cody just hung his head. "Why me?"

Bailey walked over and slowly rubbed his back. "Its okay, Cody. If it makes you feel any better, I much prefer how you look normally..."

Cody looked over at her. "I would certainly hope so!"

Bailey just laughed. "Trust me...I wouldn't trade the regular you for anything in the world..."

Nia just smiled at them. "Alright, Codina is done...Time to get Bailey transformed now..."

Bailey turned to face her. "Huh?"

Cody finally grinned.

Back in the Caribbean, Ty and Beth are just sitting around the table staring at Ty's cell phone praying for it ring. _He_ had said he would take care of everything, but they just wanted to hear the confirmation that everything was okay.

Beth sighed. "Cody and Bailey are going to be pissed..."

Ty nodded. "Yeah, they will be..."

"And they're going to want answers..."

"I know...And unless they initiate, those are answers we can't give them..."

Beth just shook her head. "You really think they are going to want to have anything to do with the Skulls now after all of this?"

Ty sighed. "I know. I mentioned that to _him_ when I called him. He just said we would figure something out..."

Beth nodded. "Have you called Cody back yet?"

"Not yet...I wanted to be able to give him some good news when I did. I was kind of hoping that would help ease some of the anger I know they both will have..."

"I still can't believe Chet was this stupid..."

"Oh, I can...I had hoped he wouldn't be, but I can't say I'm all that surprised..."

"What do you think will happen to him now?"

Ty paused. "I don't think I want to know..."

Beth just looked at him and nodded in agreement. "Good idea..."

Just then, the phone in front of them began to ring. Ty grabbed for it and answered. "Ty here..."

Back in Nia's dorm room, Bailey is the one who is looking at herself in the mirror. She know has a black wig covering her usual light brown hair. Black rimmed glasses now adorn her face along with black eyeshadow and black lipstick. And the rest of her new outfit could only be described as goth in nature.

Bailey sighed. "I don't know about this..."

Cody came over and rubbed her back. "Its an interesting look, but you still look beautiful to me..."

Bailey smiled and turned to him. "You really think so?"

"Yeah. I will admit, I do prefer your regular look though..."

"Me too..."

Nia just laughed at the both them. "Alright Codina and Haley...I think you two are able to actually leave the room now if need be. I'll just tell the front desk that you two are my guests..."

Cody paused. "What can we do? Where can we go?"

"Well, we do need food and there is a great hole in the wall down the street..." Nia grinned. "I'm sure you two won't mind buying a girl dinner, do you?"

Cody laughed. "Not at all..."

"Good...Let me get changed and I'll be right with you..." And with that, Nia slipped into her bedroom.

Bailey turned to Cody. "Do you feel as ridiculous as I do now?"

"More so I think...Bails?"

"Yeah, Cody?"

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Wear a bra every day..." Cody tried to adjust the bra straps. "This thing is killing me!"

Bailey just laughed. "You get used to them..."

Cody just shook his head. "I don't think so..."

"Well, for starters, that one wasn't fitted for you, so I'm sure its not a perfect fit..."

"I would say so!" Cody paused. "Bails, I hope you think all of yours are comfortable..."

Bailey smiled. "They are...I know my size and which brands fit me the best..."

Cody nodded. "Good. I would prefer you wear what is the most comfortable to you. And if I pick out something for you that isn't, please tell me..."

"I will..."

"And Bails, don't ever wear something just because you think I will like the way you look in it. No matter what you are in, you will always be the sexiest woman I know...Even now."

Bailey smiled at him again. "Cody, I know. I know by the way you look at me. And sometimes I do like to wear something a little more racy because I know it drives you wild and makes me feel sexier..."

Cody smiled back at her. "You always drive me wild..."

Bailey leans up and kissed him. "Thank you, Codykins...the feeling is mutual."

"I can't believe you two!"

Both turn and see Nia glaring at them. "We're going to have to reapply your lipsticks now, and God help us if anyone saw you two do that..."

Cody grinned. "I don't care what we look like. I have no problem showing the world that this is the woman I love..."

"And I have no problem showing that Cody is the..." She grinned and laughed "...the woman I love..."

Nia just shook her head. "Fine...Let's go..."

And with that, Nia, Cody and Bailey headed out of the dorm and back into the world.

Across town, Chet and his friend, Jay, found themselves sitting in a room where they had earlier given the tape they had made and given their statements. Finally, Agents Smith and Jones return back to the room.

Chet looked up. "Have you found those two yet?"

"Not yet, but we are looking for them as we speak..."

Chet nodded. "So, what else can we do to help?"

"Well..." Agent Smith in interrupted by his cell phone ringing. "Uh huh...Uh huh...Uh huh...I see...Consider it done." He hung up the phone and turned back to Chet and Jay.

"Well, that was interesting..."

Chet grinned. "You found them, right?"

"Not exactly..." He pulled out his gun and aimed it at Chet. "Why don't you tell us why you had that tape faked?"

_To be Continued..._


	19. Venturing Out

_Chapter 19_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody, Bailey and Nia were sitting in the back table of the local campus hole in the wall. Being a college campus, all types of people came in, so they actually blended into crowd. And to Cody and Bailey's surprise, the food was very good.

"So...You two are actually getting married?"

Cody smiled and nodded. "Yeah...Not this June but the next..."

Nia smiled back. "I am invited, right?"

Bailey nodded. "Of course. We got your address from Mr. Moseby. Invitations will be going out this summer."

Nia just shook her head. "Cody's getting married...Wow."

Cody laughed. "It shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Bailey and I have been together almost four years now..."

Bailey sighed. "Four years tomorrow to be exact...I guess my plans for our anniversary are shot now..."

Cody just took her hand in his. "Its okay, Bails. As long as I'm with you, that's all that matters to me..."

Nia began to laugh. "It is true then..."

Both turn to face her. "What?"

"That you two of one of the most syrupy sweet couples in the world. Uncle Marion told me that you two were deeply in love, but seeing is believing..."

Cody smiled. "She's my Bailey Bunny..."

Bailey was smiling too. "And he's my Cody Kitten..."

Nia just shook her head. "Enough...I get the idea. Anyways, tell me about this woman Uncle Marion has been dating. I understand she was a teacher on the ship..."

Bailey laughed. "Emma Tutweiler. She can be exasperating, but she has a good heart..."

Cody nodded. "And thank God she and Moseby started dating...both were a lot easier to be around once they did..."

"And the weird thing is her aunt and uncle are our landlords in New Haven..."

Nia nodded. "But will she treat my uncle right? I just want him to be happy..."

"Yeah, she will. They're actually perfect for each other."

"Good. As long as Uncle Marion is happy, then I'm sure she'll be alright in my book..."

"Well, if you don't meet her before then, you'll get to at our wedding..."

"Alright, tell me about this wedding. Give me the down low..."

As Cody and Bailey go into detail about the wedding, the waitress comes over and drops off their check. Being so engrossed in the conversation, Cody, without thinking, puts his debit card down for the waitress to pick up. As she ran the card, it went through, but at the same time, it gave the authorities who had been monitoring it their exact location.

Across town, Chet and his friend suddenly found themselves staring down the barrel of a gun pointing straight at them.

"I'll ask you again...Why did you fake that video?"

Both Chet and Jay were ready to soil themselves. This wasn't supposed to happen. Finally, Chet spoke.

"I would like to speak to my lawyer..."

Before he could say anything else, Jay cracked. "Come on, Man...It was just supposed to be a joke...We didn't mean for anything bad to happen!"

Chet glared at Jay. "Shut up, you idiot!"

Agent Smith glared at Chet. "A joke? Do you think its funny screwing with someone else's life?"

Chet shook his head and murmured. "No..."

"Do you realize how much federal resources and manpower you have wasted with your little joke?"

"I guess it was a bad idea..."

Agent Smith is livid. "A bad idea? Son, do you not realize that this country is fighting a war on terrorism! I hope the judge throws the book at you!"

"But my dad is Senator..."

"I don't give a damn who your father is!"

Agent Smith begins to pace back and forth trying to calm himself down. He is interrupted by a knock at the door. Another man dressed similarly walks in.

"Agent Smith?"

"Yes?"

"I'm Special Agent James, CIA..."

"What does the CIA have to do with this? The Bureau is handling it..."

"Seems your boy here has some answering to do for us too..."

Agent Smith sighed. "Fine...Just get him out of my sight..."

Special Agent James walked over and pulled Chet up to his feet before he handcuffed him. He spun him around to face him.

"Well, you've certainly been a very bad boy..."

Chet was freaking out. "Look, I haven't done anything..." Before Chet could finish, he noticed a pin that Special Agent James was wearing on his lapel. "Oh no..."

"Come with me, Chet..."

Chet began to scream. "Someone help me! This guy is going to kill me!"

Special Agent James just rolled his eyes and turned to Agent Smith. "They're never as tough when they've been caught and off to face the consequences..."

Agent Smith laughed. "Tell me about it..."

Back in the hole in the wall restaurant, Cody and Bailey are finishing up telling Nia about their wedding plans.

"Wow...That sounds great..."

Bailey smiled. "We hope so...But the important thing is that when its over, we'll be husband and wife..."

"Well, I know you two will be about to graduate this time next year, what comes after that?"

"I'm hopefully off to med school and Bailey will be off to vet school..."

Nia laughed. "You a doctor...I bet that's scaring the crap out of Uncle Marion..."

Cody laughed too. "He's alluded to that...What about you, what's next?"

"I'm off to law school actually..."

Cody grinned. "Good thing I decided not to do that...I'd hate to face off against you in court..."

"Whatever! You'd out prepare me any day..."

"It would be all over once you glared at the judge or the jury..."

Nia laughed again. "I'm counting on that..."

The three at the table don't notice a man in a black suit and sunglasses walk up to their table.

"Miss Moseby, Miss Pickett..._Mr. _Martin..."

Cody, Bailey and Nia all look up to see the man standing over them.

"I must say...You two didn't make it easy on us to find you..."

Cody and Bailey slumped into their seats and sighed.

_To be Continued..._


	20. The Jig is Up

_Chapter 20_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody and Bailey looked resigned to their fate. They weren't sure how they had be found, but even with the disguises Nia had fabricated for them, it had all been for nothing. But, before they could say anything, Nia spoke up.

"Do we know you?"

The man paused. "I'm Special Agent Lewis..."

Nia interrupted him. "Well, Special Agent Lewis, these two people have done nothing wrong, and it you think you can arrest them for doing nothing, then you need to remember that this is America, the land of innocent until proven guilty, and..."

Special Agent Lewis whistles to shut her up and then speaks. "Enough!"

Nia recoiled back.

"Now, if you will actually let me speak, I was going to tell you that Miss Pickett and Mr. Martin have been cleared of any wrong doing..."

Cody and Bailey immediately snap their necks to look at Special Agent Lewis. "We have?"

"Yes, you have. The government would like to apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you..."

Nia spoke up. "And just how does the government plan on making it up to them?"

Speical Agent Lewis laughed. "By letting them go to enjoy their visit in Washington. Its the government for goodness sakes, what did you expect?"

Cody sighed. "Fine with us..."

Bailey nodded. "I agree...I'm just glad this is over..." She paused. "Did you catch Chet?"

"Who?" Special Agent Lewis winked at them. "Anyways, I will let you all get back to your meal. Have a good evening..." And with that, he left.

Cody and Bailey slump back into their side of the booth. "Thank goodness that's over..."

Cody nodded. "Only one more thing to do and it will officially be over..."

"What's that?"

"Getting my real clothes back and out of this bra..."

The waitress finally brought their bill back to them, and Cody signed it. They all three headed back to Nia's dorm so Cody and Bailey could become themselves again. Once they were changed, they returned to the main area of Nia's dorm room.

"Nia, what can we do the show our appreciation for all of your help?"

"Don't worry about it. It was actually kind of fun..."

"Can we take you out to breakfast or lunch tomorrow to show out thanks?"

"I have class and then some of us are off to Florida for a week...Besides, you did pick up my dinner tonight."

Cody hugged Nia. "Well, I guess if we don't see you before, we'll see you at our wedding..."

Nia smiled. "I'll be there..." She turns to Bailey. "Its been nice finally getting to meet you. You must be some kind of woman to willingly put up with Cody..."

Bailey laughed. "So I've been told..."

"Well, you better take good care of him or you'll be hearing from me. He's one of the good guys..."

"I know. I promise I will take very good care of him..."

As they left Nia's dorm, Cody's cell phone began to ring. He pulled it out and looked at the display. He turned to Bailey.

"Its Ty..."

"See if you can find out why we went through hell today..."

Cody nodded and answered his phone. "Hello, Ty..."

Bailey just watched as Cody had a pretty heated conversation detailing to Ty about everything that they had been through that day. Finally, Cody hung up the phone.

"What did he say?"

Cody sighed. "He said we'd meet up in person after spring break was over and he would try to explain everything to us as best as he could..."

"What does that mean exactly?"

Cody shrugged. "I have no idea..."

Cody and Bailey continued to make their way back to the Metro. As they sit back in their seats, they both just relaxed after the day they'd had. Bailey leaned her head on Cody shoulder after he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. However, both couldn't help but notice that everyone kept staring at them.

"Cody, why is everyone looking at us?"

"I have no idea..."

Bailey looks up to Cody. "I thought we were..." Bailey began to laugh.

"What?"

"Codykins, you forgot to wipe off your eye shadow and lipstick..."

Cody sighed. "Great...In my defense though, the only lipstick I'm used to having to wipe off are the smudges you leave..."

Bailey grinned. "I don't think that would explain the eye shadow..."

"Do you have any tissues in your purse?"

"Yeah, hold on..." Bailey rummaged through her purse and pulled out some tissues. She dabbed them on her tongue. "Close your eyes..."

Cody complied and Bailey wiped away the eye shadow as best as she could.

"Is it gone?"

Bailey looked again. "For the most part. Right now, it just looks like you are really tired..."

Cody chuckled. "That's not too far from the truth...I'm worn out..."

"Me too..."

"How about we just get back to our room and crash?"

"Sounds good to me. Tomorrow will be a much better day..."

Cody smiled at her. "Its our anniversary...I'm sure it will."

"I sure hope so..."

Cody laughed. "It has to be...We got the usual craziness out of the way beforehand..."

Bailey laughed too. "Our anniversary always does seem to be surrounded by drama, doesn't it?"

"Uh huh...I don't think we'll ever forget Tokyo..."

"I know I sure won't...and the year after we had just found your supposedly dead great uncle..."

Cody nodded. "Oh yeah...That was interesting to say the least..."

Bailey sighed. "Unfortunately, we were stuck at sea and couldn't really do anything..."

Cody leaned over and kissed her cheek. "That didn't bother me in the least...As I remember, I saw a sight that night that I will never forget..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "I would hope so. I thought your tongue was going to drop all the way to the floor..."

Cody smiled back at her. "What can I say...When you see a goddess standing before you, you react..."

Bailey laid her head back on Cody's shoulder. "And last year in Phoenix was so romantic..."

"You liked that, did you?"

"Cody, it was perfect...Watching the sunrise over the desert...the spa treatment...a romantic dinner...and kicking some butt...And saving Steve Nash's life..."

"So, do I get any hints as to what you are planning tomorrow?"

Bailey grinned. "Nope..."

"That's okay, I know I'll love whatever it is..."

Bailey smiled. "I can think of a few parts of it that I'm pretty sure you will..."

_To be Continued..._


	21. Silk and Spice

_Chapter 21_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

As they had said, both quickly crashed once they got back to their hotel room. Their day had truly worn them out. The next morning, Cody stretched and opened his eyes. Reaching over for Bailey, he found she was not in the bed beside him. Quickly, he slipped out of bed and entered the living room area of their room. At that same time, Bailey was holding the door open, and someone from room service pushed a cart into the room. Once it was inside, Cody watched Bailey sign for the waiter's tab before she looked up and saw him. She smiled and immediately walked over to him and kissed him.

"Happy anniversary, Codykins..."

"Happy anniversary to you too, Bails...What's all this?"

Bailey smiled at him again. "I figured we'd have breakfast in this morning..." She lifted one of the plate covers. "All of your favorites...an egg white omelet, wheat toast, turkey bacon and a bran muffin..."

Cody wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Sweetheart...You know me so well..."

"I better...It has been four years after all..."

"Best four years of my life..."

"Mine too..."

"What kind of timetable are we on today?"

Bailey turned and grinned at him. "We have the morning and early afternoon to do whatever we want. My first surprise doesn't start until 7:30..."

"Well, how about we enjoy our breakfast..." Cody grinned. "And go from there..."

"Sounds good to me..."

Cody and Bailey moved the dishes and glasses over to the little table in their room. And before Bailey realized what had happened, Cody had pulled her down on to his lap. Bailey turned to him in surprise.

"Cody, what are you doing?"

"Just keeping another one of our anniversary traditions..."

Bailey smiled. "Ahhh...I see. Are you going to feed me?"

"You bet I am...I need you to have your strength today..."

Bailey teased him. "What do I need my strength for?"

Cody chuckled. "Should I tell you or should I show you?"

"What about breakfast?"

"Breakfast be darned!" With that, Cody leaned in and kissed Bailey passionately. And with that, he lifted her and up and carried her back into their bedroom before kicking the door closed with his foot. Bailey's initial giggles faded and were replaced my moans and other sounds of passion.

A few hours later, a cold breakfast had been eaten and a shower had been shared. They both walked out of the front door of the Washington Tipton hand in hand.

"So, where to, my little Hay Bale..."

"Well, we said we wanted to go to Ford's Theatre...Shall we start there?"

Cody nodded. "Sounds good to me..."

And that's exactly what they did. They arrived and took the tour of the theater including getting to see the box where Lincoln had been assassinated. After that, they took a tour of the Ford's Theatre Museum and saw such historical artifacts as the gun John Wilkes Booth used, Booth's diary, the actual coat Lincoln had been wearing (minus the blood-stained pieces) and the blood-stained pillow from Lincoln's death bed. While there, they also toured the Petersen House across the street where Lincoln had actually died.

As they were milling about outside after their tour, Cody happened to notice something.

"Look at that, Bails...They're actually putting on a performance of _Our American Cousin_ tonight. Wouldn't that be something to see?"

Bailey held back a smile. "Yeah, it would..."

Cody sighed. "Too bad it says its sold out. Oh well, I'm sure you have something wonderful planned anyways..."

Bailey nodded. "I think you'll enjoy it..."

"So, how much time do we have now?"

"Well, its almost one, and we should be back at the hotel by 5:30 so we have time to clean up and changed..."

"We have four hours then, your choice..."

Bailey paused. "Would you mind going to see the National Zoo? I'd love to see the pandas..."

Cody smiled. "We should get going then..."

So, for the next several hours, they did wander around the National Zoo. Bailey did get to see the pandas. And they saw a whole lot Coelse as well. The phrase "lions and tigers and bears, oh my!" would only describe a fraction of what they saw. They even got to feed peanuts to some elephants. Of course, being in the warm sun and around animals all day, both were in need of another shower when they got back to their room. And again, they shared one.

"So, what's the dress code for tonight, Bails?"

"Definitely coat and tie..."

Cody nodded. "Suit or sport coat?"

Bailey paused. "Either would be okay, but you do look so sexy in your charcoal gray suit..."

Cody smiled. "Consider it done..."

Soon, Cody was dressed in his suit, and Bailey was in a very sexy red dress. Cody just whistled at her.

"Wow..."

Bailey smiled. "You like?"

"Oh yeah...You look amazing..."

"Looking pretty good yourself, Codykins..."

"Should I bring your gift with me?"

Bailey paused. "No, lets save those until we get back tonight...That way, we don't have to keep up with them..."

Cody nodded. "Alright..." He offered out his arm. "Shall we?"

Cody and Bailey walked out of the hotel arm and arm. Instead of hitting the metro, they hailed a cab. Bailey handed the driver a slip of paper with their destination on it. The driver nodded and they were off. Finally, they arrived at their destination and got out. Once they saw where they were, Cody was confused.

"Bails, what are we doing back here?"

Bailey smiled and pulled out two tickets from her handbag. "Because we have tickets to _Our American Cousin_ for tonight..."

Cody just beamed at her. "Have I told you lately just how much I love you?"

"Yes, but I will never grow tired of hearing it...Come on Cody, I think they are beginning to seat everyone..."

"Yes, milady..."

For the next hour and a half, they sat in the same theater Lincoln did, watched the same play he had and soaked up the history and experience. And they did it together, hands held and fingers intertwined. As the play ended, they both stood up and applauded. Once the play was over, they walked out of the theater and grabbed another cab. And again, Bailey slipped the cab driver a slip of paper with their destination on it.

"Still aren't telling me where we're going, huh?"

Bailey shook her head. "Nope...But I think you'll like it..."

Soon, they pulled to a stop and got out. Cody helped Bailey out of the cab and then looked up. His eyes opened in shock.

"Bails...How? I...I ..mean...how?"

Cody was looking at the front entrance to Castelldefels, the brand new restaurant in Washington owned and operated by none other than Ferran Adria.

Bailey smiled. "I take it this is to your liking?"

Cody was still in shock. "I don't know what to say...How did you ever pull this off? I called, but was told reservations should be made a year in advance..."

Bailey grinned. "Once I knew we were coming to Washington, I called. That didn't work, so I asked London for a favor..."

Cody felt his heart swell. "Saying I love you doesn't seem like its enough to truly express what I'm feeling right now..."

"Codykins, I know that feeling all too well...Now, come on, lets see if the food here really as good to warrant all of this."

And it was. To Bailey, she would always remember the meal Chef Paulo had made for them on their first anniversary. But this meal was outstanding, and she could feel that all her taste buds were on fire. But as delicious as it was, she would never trade it for one of Cody's meals any day of the week. Because Cody always added one ingredient that no restaurant ever could – his love. After the meal, both were full, and made their way back outside. And waiting on them was a horse drawn carriage waiting there holding a sign with their names on it. Cody smiled again and leaned in and kissed Bailey again.

Their ride back to their hotel was a slow one, but neither cared. They just cuddled up together and shared more than a few kisses. While neither minded the slow trip back, their kisses began to grow more and more passionate. Suddenly, both desperately wished they were back in their room.

Finally, when they did arrive back to their suite. Bailey pinned Cody to the door and again kissed him passionately. When they pulled apart for air, Cody put his hands on both sides of Bailey's face.

"Sweetheart, you have my engine revved and ready to go. But I want to give you your anniversary present before our anniversary is over..."

Bailey smiled. "Okay, but we have ten minutes to do that, and then all bets are off..."

Cody smiled. "Agreed..." Cody walked over to his bag and pulled out two wrapped boxes and returned to Bailey. "They say year four is linen or silk. I saw both of these and immediately thought of you...so I got you both..."

Bailey laughed. "What would you say if the same thing happened to me?"

"After four years, I believe it..."

Bailey went to her bag and pulled out two wrapped boxes as well, but one was noticeably smaller than the other. "These are for you, Codykins..."

Cody smiled again. "You open one and then I'll open one..."

Bailey nodded and opened the first box. She smiled as she pulled out a pair of pink silk pajamas. "I love them, Cody...They're beautiful..."

"I'm glad you like them..." Cody reached for the smaller box before Bailey stopped him and told him to open the bigger one first. Cody complied and opened it. He smiled as well when he pulled out a similar pair of silk pajamas, except his were navy blue. "We really are starting to think alike..."

Bailey smiled. "I know..."

"I must warn you, what's in the other box, well, in my opinion, it was made specifically with you in mind..."

Bailey grinned and opened it. Inside was the most gorgeous lavender silk chemise she had ever seen. "Cody...Its beautiful..."

"I hope you feel sexy in it, because I know that's how you will look in it..."

Bailey leaned in and kissed Cody. "I feel sexy just looking at it..."

Cody smiled. "Good. Now you know how I feel when I look at you..."

"Open your final gift so I can show you how sexy you are..."

Cody complied and inside he found a light blue silk tie with small black and white polka dots. "Wow..."

"I read that tie color is important. They say blue symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth and heaven. Cody, that's you. And they say light blue is associated with health, healing, tranquility, understanding and softness, all qualities of a what a good doctor should be. I thought this would be a good tie for med school interviews..."

Cody smiled at her. "And it comes from you which means it will bring me luck. I shall wear it for all of my interviews..."

Bailey smiled back. "How about I slip into my new chemise?"

Cody shook his head. "No need to do that...Besides, it wouldn't be on long enough anyways..." And with that he leaned in and kissed Bailey again passionately.

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: Sorry this was so late being posted. Just got back from the UK-Akron game where UK won 47-10. And no, I'm not feeling any effect this time, so if this sucks, I have nothing to blame but myself.**


	22. A Week of Doing Nothing?

_Chapter 22_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

After a night of making love, both slept the sleep of peace and happiness. They actually slept in until almost eleven. However, this morning was not to be a laid back one. They had to check out by noon and be back at Union Station by 1:30 for their 2:00 train. While one showered, the other packed. And by 11:55, everything was finally packed and ready to head out. They turned back in their keys and noticed something wrong with their final bill. When they inquired about it, the front desk person just shrugged and said he was instructed to give them a discount. Both wanted to argue but they had to get moving if they were to catch their train back home.

Soon enough, they were on the Metro heading back towards Union Station. At about 1:15, they arrived and headed upstairs to the Amtrak station. After getting their boarding passes, they sat and caught their breath.

"So, what did you think of your first trip to Washington?"

Bailey laughed. "Something tells me I won't be forgetting it for a long, long time..."

"I know what you mean...I'm actually looking forward to a week of doing nothing when we get back..."

"Well, I wouldn't say nothing...It would be a good chance to sit down and write out our proposals for our senior projects and turn them in."

Cody nodded. "That's true...Have you thought of a topic for your Economics one yet?"

Bailey paused. "Well, I was thinking of pet health insurance and the economics of it and the possibility of VMOs like HMOs..."

"That sounds interesting. I'd like to read it when you're done..."

Bailey smiled. "Thanks. What about you? Any ideas?"

"I was thinking along the lines of the potential economic affect of the new proposed health care reform bill in the Senate..."

Bailey nodded. "That sounds interesting too. Maybe we can talk to Bill this next week and see what he thinks?"

"We can try...You know, while we do have time next week, what do you say we finally use our new clubs and take in a round?"

Bailey grinned. "I like it...and I call getting to drive the golf cart!"

Cody laughed. "Well, I guess we're getting a cart then..."

Soon, their train did arrive, and they once again boarded. They found their compartment, stowed away their bags and sat back to enjoy the ride. Once they were moving, they did head to the dining car to grab a quick lunch as they hadn't eaten all day. After they ate though, they returned to their compartment and curled up together to take a nap.

Several hours later, a whistle blowing woke them both from their slumber. Both stretched and sat up.

Bailey yawned. "What time is it?"

Cody checked his watch. "Almost 8:00. We should be getting close to New Haven."

Bailey nodded. "You know, I really like taking the train. Maybe the next time we head to Kettlecorn, we can try taking it then?"

"We'll definitely need to get a sleeping car then. I'd say its probably a two day trip..."

Bailey smiled. "Fine by me..."

Cody paused and grinned. "I wonder how private those are..."

Bailey just rolled her eyes and laughed.

Soon enough, they were back in New Haven. Once they got off the train, they found a cab and began the final leg of their journey back home. After bringing all of their bags in and beginning the first load in the washer, Cody began making them a light late dinner while Bailey took the SUV to go pick up Porkers. By the time she returned with him, Cody had finished cooking. After a quick dinner and playing with Porkers for a while, they decided to call it a night.

The next morning, they got their mail from Jo and Bill. Bill was on his way out to play golf himself that morning, but told them to stop by his office the next morning and he would discuss their senior projects with them. He told them if they wanted to go ahead and write them up, he could go ahead and approve them if they were acceptable. Cody and Bailey agreed and went home with their mail. Nothing of real importance had been waiting on them.

Other than another trip to the grocery store, Cody and Bailey spent that Sunday preparing their proposals for both their biology and economics senior projects. By early evening, they had them both exactly the way they wanted them. After that, they just spent a quiet weekend at home. Well, for the most part. While Cody was taking Porkers outside, Bailey was on the phone to Cassie. The twin's 20th birthdays were two weeks away, and they needed to begin planning what to do. Both wanted to do something different for them this year, and both said they would be in touch if an idea came to them.

Monday morning came, and Cody and Bailey made their way to the deserted campus. Their first stop was to see Bill. Both explained their proposal ideas for Bill very thoroughly.

Bill nodded. "Not bad...Not bad at all..."

"So, will you sign off on being the faculty adviser on them then?"

Bill smiled. "Oh come on...You both knew I would. I just wanted to make sure you two had good topics, and it appears you both do..."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you. So, how does this actually work next semester?"

"Well, we'll meet the first week of classes. We'll set a date in October for you both to have outlines of your papers to me. That way you will have a month to do research. Once I approve of the outlines, we kind of wing it from there. If you want, we can set a time for mid November to turn in a rough draft if you want me to take a look at them. Beyond that, we'll probably need to meet once every couple of weeks for status updates..." Bill pauses and grins. "Of course, we can do those here or on one of our back porches..."

Cody laughed. "Works for us...Are their page length requirements?"

"Usually 15-20 pages not including bibliographies, charts, graphs and so on..."

Bailey nods. "Sounds like we have a plan then..."

"Before you go, I want to give you a schedule of classes for next fall. You each have two classes to do whatever you want with..." He paused again and slipped them a piece of paper. "Don't tell anyone I gave this to you, but this is a list of notorious gut classes..."

"What are gut classes?"

"Classes considered to be...rather easy. For example, the Geology class listed here is known as 'Rocks for Jocks'..."

Cody and Bailey nod. "We'll keep them in mind..."

From Bill's office, the headed over to the office of their Genetics professor. They had a similar meeting with him where they both detailed their biology senior project proposals. Needless to say, their professor was very impressed with both of their proposals. Especially Cody's idea as the professor had two twin grandsons of his own. He agreed to be their faculty adviser on their project and greenlighted both of them. His setup was pretty much the same as Bill's except there would be two semesters worth, the papers needed to be 30-40 pages, and there would be no home consultations.

Once they returned home, the both flipped through the schedule book that Bill had given them and wrote down several classes either they felt interested them or felt they could get easy A's in. Once that was done, they called one of the local municipal golf course and got a tee time for the next morning.

And the next morning, they found themselves standing on the first tee. To say they were ready for the pro tours would be a stretch, but they had fun. And Bailey must have thought she was in a race car in the golf cart. Several times, Cody felt himself holding on for dear life. But they were having fun. They were able to laugh at awful shots they both made and congratulate each other when they both did something well.

At one point, Cody was trying to chip the ball, but instead, he bladed it. But as luck would have it, the ball screamed into the flag, causing it to catch it and drop it a foot from the hole. Of course, they adventure wasn't quite over as Bailey wouldn't give him a gimme and made him actually putt it. The ball did its best to lip out, but it stayed down to give Cody an actual par. Bailey just stuck her tongue out at him for daring to play a hole like you were supposed to.

By the time they reached the 18th hole, both were a lot more tired than they thought they would be considering they had been using a cart. Off course, all the time they had spent looking in the woods for missing golf balls might have contributed to that. Both got off solid drives, which means they actually went in the general direction of the green. And both actually hit solid second shots leaving them with only chips left. They each hit respectable chips that left them both with with moderately easy putts. And both proceeded to hit said putts to finish their rounds with a par.

Cody laughed. "Where was that at the rest of the day?"

Bailey laughed too. "I know...I guess better late than never though..."

"I guess...Of course, I now have the urge to play more to see if it continues..."

Bailey smiled. "Probably shouldn't. Let's leave here thinking we are actually improving instead of trying to prove it and realizing we're wrong..."

Cody nodded. "Good point...Let's head home. A nice cool bath sounds good right now..."

Bailey grinned. "You better hope I don't get there first..."

Cody shrugged and smiled. "I would just hop in with you..."

They did finally arrive home. After sitting on their back porch and cleaning their clubs off, they stowed them back away in the closet in the home office. While Bailey took Porkers out, Cody went around front to get their mail.

Opening the mailbox, Cody couldn't help but notice that there was a lot more mail than usual. Quickly skimming through the envelopes, he couldn't help but notice there were a couple of letters from Cornell, Penn and Tufts. Excitedly, he ran back around back. This time, Bailey couldn't help but notice the smile on his face.

"What is it Cody? I know its not our scores again..."

"We both have letters from Cornell, Penn, and Tufts..."

_To be Continued..._


	23. One Step Closer

_Chapter 23_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Bailey's face lit up. "We got letters in? What do they say?"

Cody smiled. "I don't know, I saw them and immediately came back here. I haven't opened them yet..."

"What are we waiting for, let's open them!"

"Alright, lets head back inside to the couch. It was good luck for us last time..."

Bailey quickly agreed, and they headed back inside. Once on the couch, Cody divided up the letters between them.

Bailey looked at the letters in her hands and then back at Cody. "Which ones should we open first?"

Cody paused. "How about we go in alphabetical order?"

Bailey nodded. "Cornell is first then..." Bailey opened up her letter from the Cornell Veterinary School and quickly skimmed it. She smiled at looked up. "They want me to schedule an interview with them!"

"Congrats, Sweetie!"

"They have several dates listed that they are scheduling interviews...Let's see what yours says."

Cody nodded and opened his letter from the Cornell Medical School. Like Bailey, he quickly read it and looked up at Bailey. "They want me to come in for an interview too!"

Bailey smiled. "Of course they do...they would be idiots not to. Do they have dates listed?"

Cody looked back at the letter and nodded. "Yeah...Let's compare them and see if any of them are the same..."

Bailey nodded and quickly got up to get the calendar for them to look at. Comparing the list of dates, the found a few in common, and they decided to try for June 7 since it was a Friday and they could spend a couple of days in Ithaca to look around the town. Both quickly pulled out their phones and called the numbers listed to call to schedule interviews. And fortunately, both were able to secure interviews on the 7th in the late morning. Immediately, Bailey added to the calendar the interviews at Cornell.

She turned to Cody again. "I guess Penn is next then."

Cody nodded and picked up his letter from the Penn Medical School. Opening it, he quickly read it again. He looked back up at Bailey and smiled. "Two for two with requests for interviews..."

Bailey smiled back at him and opened her letter from the Penn Veterinary School. And like Cody, she was two for two as well. Again, they compared letters for interview dates and both decided that June 21 would be the best as it too was a Friday. And again, they pulled out their cell phones and called the numbers listed to schedule interviews. After both were able to secure interviews on that Friday morning, Bailey added the Penn interviews to the calendar.

Finally, each held the final letter from Tufts in their hands. Both opened their letters and read them. Both looked up at the same time with smiles on their faces.

"Three for three too?"

"Yep..."

Bailey smiled. "Lets compare dates for a third time..."

Looking at both their letters, they decided on July 5. They figured they would have the 4th of July off anyways and it would be good to have a long weekend in Boston for the holiday. So, for the final time that afternoon, they pulled out their cell phones and called to schedule interviews. After both finalized interview times, Bailey noted the Tufts interview on the calendars.

Both slumped back into the couch with smiles on their face.

"We're halfway there, Bails..."

"Yeah, we are...We should let our families know..."

Cody nodded. "Why don't you send a mass e-mail while I go ahead and reserve us hotels room in Ithaca and Philadelphia for those weekends?"

"Good idea...How many nights were you planning on reserving?"

"I was thinking Thursday and Friday nights at least. You think I should book for Saturday nights too?"

Bailey paused. "Nah. Our interviews are in the mornings. That will give us all Friday afternoons to look around campus and then we can spend Saturday mornings looking at other things. And if we do decide to go school at either place, we'll make a trip back again..."

Soon enough, Bailey had sent out an email to all of their families updating them on their interviews, and Cody had reserved them rooms for their respective weekends in Ithaca and Philadelphia. They would just stay at the Boston Tipton when they went back to Boston. Once those two tasks were done, both again slouched back into the couch.

Cody laughed. "You know, for a week where we were going to just take it easy, we've accomplished a lot in a few days..."

"I know...Why am I looking forward to school starting to actually get a breather?"

"I know what you mean. But think of it this way, next year, we'll have most of this behind us and our main worries will be our senior projects and picking which grad school we want to go to..."

Bailey looked at him. "And that little thing called our wedding..."

Cody smiled. "True...Maybe I didn't say it because that's something I'm actually looking forward to..."

Bailey laid her head on his shoulder. "I know...We also have that meeting in New York with the wedding coordinator in a couple of weeks..."

Cody nodded. "We have our guest lists done, you've chosen your bridesmaid dresses and wedding gowns...Aren't we basically just going to be choosing the style of tuxes?"

Bailey teased him. "Don't you mean _I'll_ be choosing the style of tuxes?"

Cody sighed. "Yes, Dear...My groomsmen and I have a humble request for full vests though..."

"I'm just kidding, Codykins. I chose my wedding dress without your approval, tuxes should be your choice..."

Cody grinned. "Even if I chose baby blue velor ones?"

Bailey just looked at him. "No..."

"How about regular tuxes with tuxedo t-shirts underneath?"

"No..."

Cody laughed. "I was just kidding. I want your opinion anyways. You have impeccable taste..."

Bailey snorted. "Tell London that..."

Cody paused. "Well, you did choose me, so not sure what that says about your taste..."

Bailey leaned up and kissed his cheek. "That's just proof that I do have great taste..."

Cody smiled at her. "Thanks, Sweetie..."

Bailey paused. "We do have another big decision to make though..."

Cody nodded. "I think I know what you're talking about..."

"What are we going to do about the Skulls?"

Cody paused. "Well, personally, I want some answers. Ever since they've entered our lives, it feels like we've been on a roller coaster..."

"I know...And quite frankly, I'm about ready to get off..."

"I agree. I say we meet with Ty and Beth when they get back this weekend when they get back and see how that goes..."

Bailey nodded. "Okay...Speaking of weekends, don't plan anything for the weekend after..."

Cody turned to her. "Why? What's that weekend?"

Bailey just laughed. "Its your birthday, silly..."

Cody paused. "Oh yeah...I guess with everything else, it slipped my mind..."

"Well, it didn't slip mine..."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Its a surprise..." And to herself "...once we figure out what to do.."

Cody nodded. "Okay. I'm sure what ever you..." He grinned. "...and Cassie are planning will be fun."

Bailey just shook her head. "Because you and Zack are impossible to plan surprises for..."

Cody took her hand in his. "Bails, you know I don't care what we do as long as I get to spend it with you..."

"I know...And I think you'll like the birthday gift I have in mind for you..."

"I know I will...Besides, I already have a good idea for your birthday gift too..."

Bailey smiled. "What are the chances that we are thinking alike again?"

Cody laughed. "I would say pretty good..."

"Alright, what do you say we spend the rest of the week just doing nothing?"

"Sounds good to me...How does a picnic down on the beach tomorrow sound?"

"Perfect..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: Sorry if everyone thought I was announcing what schools they got into. Before you get accepted to med and vet schools, you have to interview with them. But, if it makes everyone feel better, I did just write the chapter they announce where they are going. Unfortunately, its Chapter 48...**_  
_


	24. The Favor

_Chapter 24_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The rest of the week did allow them to finally relax. And they did head down to the beach for a picnic the next day. Swimming was out as it was still mid March afterall. The water would have been freezing cold, and they were in jackets as it was due to the breeze off the water. But, they enjoyed the free time they had. Even their upcoming weekends were already full. The next weekend was the twins' birthdays and the weekend after was their meeting in New York City. And soon after that, they would be heading towards Bailey's birthday and the end of the semester.

So, when they got home, they just relaxed and watched some TV. That was fortuitous as it gave Bailey the inspiration that she needed for an idea for Cody's birthday. She excused herself to go to the bathroom, and inside she turned on the fan and dialed Cassie. Bailey had to speak low so Cody wouldn't hear her, but she explained her idea to Cassie. Immediately, Cassie agreed that it was a great idea. She said he would take care of letting Woody and Addison know, and Bailey said she would let Max and Tapeworm know. Once they had got RSVPs, they would call each other back and go from there. While Bailey was in the bathroom, she went ahead and called Max. She agreed with the plan and said she and Tapeworm were a go.

Bailey flushed the toilet to cover herself and walked back to the living room.

"You okay, Bails?"

"Yeah, why would you ask?"

Cody shrugged. "You were in the bathroom for a half an hour, just making sure..."

Bailey paused. "Oh, I...uhhh...was...ummm..."

"Female issues?"

Bailey sighed in relief. "Exactly..."

Cody nodded. "Okay. If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know."

Bailey sat back down and kissed his cheek. "I appreciate that, Sweetie...but, I think it was just a false alarm."

A few hours later, Bailey received a text from Cassie that the Storrs Four were in too. Again, Bailey needed an excuse to make a phone call. She finally found it, when Cody excused himself to go to the bathroom. Quickly, Bailey pulled out her cell and made a phone call. She was trying to hurry as she made reservations for eight for Saturday night. As she was writing down her confirmation number, she heard a flush, the faucet come on and Cody came walking back out.

"Uh huh...Uh huh...Sounds good...Talk to you soon, Mandy. Cody says hi..." Bailey hung up and turned to Cody. "Mandy says hi too."

Cody smiled. "That was nice of her..."

"Yeah...So, what do we want to do tonight?"

"Well...We could..." But before Cody could finish, his cell phone rang. "Hold that thought..."

Cody answered his phone. Bailey could only hear one side of the conversation, but from what she could gather, the person on the other end of the line was Ty. Finally, Cody hung up.

"Ty?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah. He and Beth were wondering if they could come over tonight and talk to us..."

Bailey nodded. "Fine with me. Might as well settle this once and for all..."

Several hours later, Ty and Beth did show up at their front door. Things were a little tense as all four sat down. Finally, Ty spoke.

"I understand you both have a ton of questions...Beth and I will try to answer what we can..."

Cody turned to Bailey and back to Ty. "Why us?"

Ty sighed. "I should have expected that to be the first question. And to be honest, I don't have an answer to you for that. All I do know is that someone pretty powerful has taken quite a shine to the both of you..." He paused. "Its almost like he owes you a favor..."

Bailey was confused. "A favor? But who? We've thought of everyone we can think of and none of this fits them..."

Beth nods. "I know, its confusing, and to be honest, its confusing to me as well..."

"Who is this powerful person?"

Ty paused. "I can't tell you that...right now..."

Cody stares at him. "What does that mean?"

"I was told that if you two initiate, everything would be explained and cleared up..."

Cody paused to think. "So, we only get to find out about all of this if we initiate? Isn't that up to you guys as well as us?"

Ty looked to Beth and back at Cody and Bailey. "No, its not. This isn't official until Tap Day, but you two have been selected to become Bonesmen...You two have been chosen to be among the new fifteen..."

Cody and Bailey just looked at each other again. Bailey turned back to the others. "That's something Cody and I will have to discuss among ourselves in some great detail..."

Ty nods. "We understand. Just let us know on Tap Day..."

"What about Chet?"

Ty sighed. "I don't think any of us will ever see him again..."

Cody's eyebrows immediately went up. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask, and to be honest, I'm not sure I want to know..."

Cody nodded. "I can understand that...Well, we promise to have an answer for you by Tap Day. Beyond that, Bailey and I do need to talk..."

"We hope you will still join us. You both would be worthy additions to the Skulls. We can use more people like the two of you..."

And with that, Ty and Beth got up and left. Cody and Bailey just slumped back into the couch again.

"That certainly was interesting..."

Bailey nodded. "Tell me about it..."

"So, what do you think?"

"Other than my curiosity is killing me?"

"Same here...I just have no idea who this person could be..."

"I know...Who besides Wilfred Tipton do we know who could have this much power?"

Cody shrugged. "No clue...And what was this about owing us a favor?"

"So, what do you think we should do?"

Cody paused. "If we don't, will this be something we always wonder about?"

Bailey sighed. "Probably...Cody, its in our nature to want to know as much as possible..."

"Agreed...So, are you saying we should go for it?"

Bailey paused. "Yeah...I think I am."

Cody nodded. "That's my initial reaction as well. Maybe we should give it some time to see if we still feel the same way with some distance?"

"Good idea..."

The rest of the weekend, they avoided talking about it as best as they could. Instead, they focused on school starting back on Monday. They did their homework and their reading and were ready for classes to resume. And on Monday morning, they returned to school. And on Tuesday afternoon, they returned to work. By the end of the week, they were back in their normal routines.

Saturday morning was the twins' birthday. That morning, Cody woke up and felt Bailey holding him close in her arms. He looked down and placed a kiss on the top of her head. That caused her to stir.

"Cody?"

"Good morning, sleepyhead..."

"Good morning..." Bailey paused and her eyes opened wide. "Morning?" She sighed. "I was planning on surprising you with breakfast in bed again this morning..."

Cody smiled. "Its okay. I happen to like where you are right now much better..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "Happy Birthday, Codykins..."

"Thank you, Sweetie..."

"How does it feel to no longer be a teenager?"

Cody paused. "20...Doesn't feel much different..."

Bailey grinned. "Just think...One year from today, and I'll be carrying you home."

Cody chuckled. "You think so, huh?"

"I'm sure if your Dad and Zack have anything to do with it..."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time you did. You practically carried me all over the ship the night of our first anniversary..."

Bailey giggled. "That's right. Remind me to have my video camera on me next year..."

Cody laughed. "Just remember payback is fair game...Enough about next year, what do you have on the agenda for today?"

Bailey leaned over and kissed him. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see..."

To be Continued...


	25. The Viking King

_Chapter 25_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

With breakfast in bed now out, Bailey still insisted that she cook Cody breakfast that morning. Cody agreed, and he ended up playing with Porkers. Once Bailey finished, she set the table and made Cody sit down. Of course, she wasn't expecting him to pull her down into his lap.

"We may not be having breakfast in bed, but that doesn't mean I don't want you here close to me..."

Bailey just smiled. "Your birthday, your rules..."

Cody smiled back. "Your darn right! And my first rule is you and I feed each other this morning..."

"Such a tyrant..."

So, for the next little while, they fed each other and shared more than a few kisses. Even after they were done eating, neither one was making any attempt to get up from the table.

"So, what do you have planned today?"

"I told you, its a surprise..."

"What time does this surprise start?"

"8:00 PM, but we need to leave here by 6:00..."

Cody nodded. "Alright, I can see its probably not in New Haven then. My guess is Hartford."

"Maybe..."

Cody grinned. "Well, its 9:00 AM now, how are we supposed to pass the next nine hours?"

Bailey grinned right back. "Anything you want to do..."

Cody tapped his chin in thought. "Its too bad we don't have a hot tub handy..."

"We do have a bathtub..."

"That is very true. Second rule of today..." Cody grinned again. "All baths today have to be joint ventures..."

Bailey laughed. "Wow, you're rules are harsh..."

Cody leaned in and kissed Bailey again. "And I haven't even gotten to the fun ones yet..."

"Well, lets hear your next edict then, sire..."

Cody laughed. "You asked for it!"

And with that, Cody picked Bailey up and and placed her over his shoulder.

Bailey was laughing now. "Cody, what are you doing?"

"Well, you said I was a king, and you remember I am descended from vikings, so as I viking king, I carrying off my plunder..."

Cody begins walking down the hall with Bailey still over his shoulder, but instead of heading into the bathroom, he takes a turn to the left into their bedroom.

"I thought we were going to take a bath together?"

Cody laid her back on the bed and grinned. "We will...but first, I have to pillage you first!"

Cody dove in and began to kiss Bailey all over, and all Bailey could do was giggle and squeal in delight.

A few hours later, they were laying in a bubble bath together. Bailey leaned up and kissed Cody again.

"Never let it be said that the viking blood doesn't flow strong in you..."

Cody grinned. "You liked that, huh?"

Bailey grinned back. "I did...Consider me sufficiently pillaged..."

"Good. So, be honest, a viking beard would look good on me, right?"

Bailey laughed. "Sorry, Codykins...I'm a fan of the clean shaven look on you."

"Oh well..." Cody grinned. "Maybe I can pick up a helmet with some horns..."

"You don't have to do that either. I love you exactly the way you are..."

Cody lifted Bailey's hand and kissed. "I hope you know I feel the exact same way about you."

Bailey smiled at him. "I know, Honey. What's you next rule, King Cody?"

"Whatever will make Queen Bailey happy..."

"This is your birthday, remember? I'll be queen for a day next month..."

"And I will be your humble servant then..."

"No, you won't...You are and always be my Prince Charming..." And with that, Bailey leaned in and kissed Cody again.

Over the next several hours, Cody and Bailey continued to just spend the day together. However, they did have to take another shower later on so they could actually clean up. And as per Cody's rule, they did it together.

At six o'clock, they were actually dressed and ready to head out. Bailey grabbed the keys and they both climbed into the SUV. Cody reached for the blindfold, but Bailey told him they wouldn't need it now...maybe later though. Once again, they were on the interstate heading north. Bailey entered the address in the GPS and let it guide her in. Exiting the interstate in Hartford, Cody smiled knowing he had been right. Of course, he was not expecting the location that Bailey pulled into and parked.

"Bails, is this our final destination?"

"Uh huh..."

"A comedy club...This sounds like a lot of fun!"

"They will serve us dinner too. Cassie and I thought you and Zack would enjoy this..."

"Who is the comedian tonight?"

Bailey smiled. "That's still a surprise..."

About that time, they noticed three other cars entering the parking lot about the same time. Everyone gathered in the parking lot.

Zack grinned. "A Comedy Club...Sweet!"

Everyone headed inside to the table that Bailey had called and reserved. Once seated, they were handed their menus and their orders taken. As they sat and waited for their food, they began to chat.

Bailey turned to Cassie, Zack, Woody and Addison. "So, how was your all's spring breaks?"

"It was a lot of fun. We just hung around Storrs and did absolutely nothing. It was a good break. How about you two, how was Washington?"

Bailey looked at Cody and then back to her cousin. "It was a trip I don't think we'll ever forget..."

Cassie smiled. "That much fun, huh? What all did you see?"

Cody smiled. "We saw...pretty much everything there was to see..." He mumbles under his breath. "And then some..."

Zack spoke up. "Congrats on the interviews. How long are you two planning on being in Boston?"

"We'll probably head up the 3rd, be in town for the 4th, have our interviews on the 5th, and come back on the 7th..."

Zack nodded. "We may join you. Nothing quite like the 4th of July in Boston. Maybe a Sox game too. They have to be better than last year..."

Cody paused. "Speaking of Boston pro sports, what are you two doing this summer with you two being in Storrs?"

Zack laughed. "I got the Celts Asst. GM to ask Ray Allen a favor for me, and he got me a summer job in the UCONN athletic department..."

Cody smirked. "Let me give you some first hand advice...When you wash the towels, only add half a cup of bleach. And use fabric softener..."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Ha ha..."

Bailey laughed and turned to Cassie. "What about you?"

Cassie laughed. "Believe it or not, I'm going to be working at a band camp this summer..."

And with that, everyone busted out laughing.

"I know...Go ahead, let's hear it..."

Bailey smiled. "No need. You'll be doing something in your career field...Just makes sure you thoroughly disinfect all mouthpieces everyday..."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Thanks for reminding me of that..."

Before anyone else could give Cassie any more flack, they waiter brought out their meals. With mouths full of food, they couldn't really talk to much. Once they finished dinner, there was still about fifteen minutes before the show was to start.

Bailey turned to Cassie. "Time for presents?"

Cassie nodded. "Yeah, we have time..." Cassie reached under the table and pulls out a rectangular box for Zack. "Happy Birthday, Babe...I know you've wanted one of these for a while..."

Zack opens the gift and finds a brand new Blu-Ray player. He grins and turns to Cassie. "Thank you. I love it!" He leans over and kissed her. "And I love you too..."

Cassie just smiled back at him. "You're very welcome, and I love you too..."

Bailey turns to Cody. "Your turn, Codykins..." She hands him an envelope.

Cody opens the envelope and smiles at what he sees. "An appointment to get a new suit?"

Bailey smiled. "You've already got the tie, now you need the suit to go with it so you can kill in your interviews..."

"Thank you, Sweetheart. I love you..."

"Love you too, Cody..." Bailey grinned. "So, did we think alike again?"

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see. But I will say this, I've already bought your gift, so I can't go back and undo it now..."

"I guess I'll see then..."

Before anything else could be said, the emcee came out on stage.

"Ladies and Gentleman, Welcome to the Comedy Warehouse. I would like everyone to put their hands together for our headline performer tonight...Mr. Lewis Black!"

Zack and Cody both grinned as both found him extremely funny. And the show was absolutely hilarious. Every laughed so hard, they cried. And after about an hour and a half and an encore, everyone stood up to give standing ovation. Once the performance was over, everyone spent a little while longer hanging out before it was time to return home.

It was close to midnight when Cody and Bailey got back to their apartment. After letting Porkers out to do his business, Cody and Bailey just stood in their kitchen holding each other.

"Thank you for such a good birthday, Bails..."

"You still have five minutes left...any final edicts?"

Cody pulled back and looked at her. "No edicts, merely a humble request..."

"What's that?"

"That you grant me the honor of making love to you tonight..."

Bailey smiled. "As you wish..."

Cody leaned down and kissed Bailey.

To be Continued...


	26. Return to New York

_Chapter 26_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next week, classes resumed, and Cody and Bailey resumed their studying and kept going to work. On Friday night, they took it easy as they knew they potentially had a long day the next day in New York City.

On Saturday morning, they were off to meet with London and Maria. This time, they entered the address for the New York Tipton in the GPS and followed its directions all the way into New York City and around it. This time, the guard knew they were coming and motioned them into the underground garage quickly. They parked and made their way up to London's suite. And London and Maria were there waiting on them.

Maria smiled at them. "Ahhh. Good. We can get started now. We have a lot to do today. London tells me you have already chosen you bridesmaid dresses and wedding gown. And today, we will be going to decide on the tuxedo style. First things first, do you have your guest lists?"

Cody nodded and patted the laptop carrying case over his shoulder. "Sure do. Would you prefer a hard copy or do you want us to email the spreadsheet we made?"

Maria grinned. "A spreadsheet? You two just saved me some time...Email it to me as well as a hard copy..."

While Cody was setting up his laptop, Maria turned to Bailey. "Have all bridesmaids and groomsmen been chose and all accepted?"

Bailey smiled. "Done and done."

"Excellent...And if I may say, excellent choices with the dresses..."

Cody rejoined them. "You have mail and here is a hard copy..."

"Good. Alright, after the tuxes, we are going to do some window shopping. I have appointments set up with a bakery, a florist, and a jeweler. I want you both to see what is out there and let it give you ideas. Now, as for the reception, something else has come up. It seems we have a common friend in Chef Paulo. He would like to oversee the food at the reception. I told him I would pass that along to the both of you."

Cody and Bailey turned to each other and smiled. "Sounds good to me..."

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, we both know how good he is..."

Maria smiled. "Good, can you meet with him in Boston over the summer?"

Cody nodded. "Sure. And I know just when we can talk to him – when we go for our interview in early July."

"That's another thing down. Continuing on, would you two prefer a deejay or a live band?"

Bailey paused. "I think I would prefer a deejay..."

"Me too...As long as its not Wolfman Zack..."

Maria just looked at Cody. "Anyways. The other thing about the reception is that it will be an open bar..."

"Speaking of that, we'll both be 21 by then, but not all of our friends will. Do we know yet where the the ship will be then?"

London shot up her hand. "Oh oh...I know this one!"

Bailey smiled. "Yes, London?"

London grinned. "We'll be in the Caribbean!"

Maria laughed. "That takes care of that. Drinking age everywhere in the Carribean except the U.S. Virgin Islands is 18. And in international waters as well..."

Cody nodded. "That works..."

Maria smiled. "Alright. Lets head out of here and see what we can find..."

As she gathered her things, Bailey turned to Cody. "The Caribbean. We know it will be warm there then. Now, we just have to find a place for our honeymoon."

Cody nodded again. "Yeah. We'll start researching places..."

London paused. "I might have a suggestion..."

"Yeah?"

"Of course..." London went on to explain her idea to Cody and Bailey as they all headed out and down to London's limo. Cody and Bailey were intrigued by the idea and told London they would think about it. London nodded and said she would forward them some information.

The first stop, was a high end menswear store. And Cody was the guinea pig this time. He must have tried almost twenty five different tuxedo styles. Even with his meticulous nature, they were all beginning to look alike to him by the end. Finally, they found one everyone thought would be perfect.

Maria nodded. "Yeah, this one is it. Your vest and tie will be white while while the groomsmen will be in lavender. We just need to find you the proper watch and cufflinks to wear with it..."

Cody smiled. "Already taken care of. The watch is one Bailey gave me, and the cufflinks will be my grandfather's ones my grandmother gave me."

Bailey smiled at him. "That sounds perfect to me..."

Maria shrugged. "Alright. Well, Sometime around the end of the year, you'll need to get all of your bridesmaids and groomsmen in for measurements."

Moving on, they stopped at a bakery, and they saw just about every imaginable type of wedding cake they could imagine. Fortunately, this wasn't to be a final decision day, so they had time to think of what they wanted in a cake. And then to Cody's surprise, they asked him if he had any ideas for what he wanted in his groom's cake. Cody had to admit that he had forgot all about it, but he would definitely give it some thought.

Next was a flower shop. And again, they were shown every imaginable flower that was pink, lavender and white. In the grand scheme of things, Cody didn't really care what flowers they had, so he would defer to what Bailey wanted. However, Bailey saw so many that she didn't know what to think. There were so many she thought was beautiful and knew she had a lot to think about.

The jewelry store was an experience too. Since Cody had used Ellie's ring as an engagement ring, he didn't have the previous joy of searching every jewelry store looking for the perfect ring. But now, they were looking to get ideas of what they wanted their wedding bands to look like. Fortunately, wedding rings are usually pretty simple, but there was also the choice of if they wanted gold, white gold, silver or platinum. Again, they had a lot of thinking to do.

Finally, their day in New York was over. Well, almost. The last they had to do was choose "Save the Day" cards and invitations. Finally, after looking through volumes and volumes of them, they decided on one of each. They promised Marie they would keep thinking about what they wanted. And they promised they would meet with Chef Paulo in Boston over the summer. Marie scheduled another meeting with them over Thanksgiving break in Boston and they would begin making the final decisions then. She also assured them that the Save the Day's would be mailed out on June 26th. And once they spoke with Chef Paulo and got the reception meal planned, the invitations would go out by the end of July.

As they drove back to New Haven, they had time to reflect on their day.

"I can't wait till we have everything settled so we can just look forward to our wedding..."

Cody smiled. "Me too..."

"What did you think of everything?"

"Well, the cake I think we can come to a decision on pretty easily. The flowers I will leave to your discretion. I know whatever you choose will be perfect. As for the rings, I would prefer something simple..."

Bailey nodded. "I agree. As for the rings, I wouldn't mind if our bands matched my engagement ring."

Cody nodded too. "Sounds good to me. Of course, I will want to engrave something special on the inside of yours..."

Bailey smiled. "So will I...By the way, I love the idea of you wearing your grandfather's cufflinks."

Cody smiled. "I know Grandpa Charlie can't be here for our wedding, but I think by wearing his cufflinks, he will be there in some way...I know he's watching over us."

"I hope so."

"And I know he would tell me that I had chosen very well..." Cody laughed. "He'd probably also tell me to marry you soon before you came to your senses..."

Bailey laughed and teased him. "Maybe you should then..." Bailey paused. "I think I would have really liked him."

"I know he would have thought the world of you...You would be the granddaughter he never had."

Bailey smiled and reached over and patted Cody's knee. Cody's family definitely wasn't conventional by Kettlecorn standards, but they were all great. The more she met of them, she couldn't wait to call them her family as well.

The next few weeks were spent finishing up the homestretch for the semester. On Friday afternoon, Cody and Bailey finished their last class of the day and were beginning to walk across campus back to their apartment. The following week was to be the last week of classes before reading week. And the Saturday before reading week was Bailey's 20th birthday.

"So, Cody, why don't we go look for your new suit this weekend?"

Cody smiled to himself. "I think next Sunday would work better..."

"Why then?"

Cody smiled at her. "Can I just say trust me?"

Bailey stopped them. "Cody...What's going on?"

Before Cody could say anything, they were approached from behind and tapped on the back.

"Its Tap Day, and you've both been selected to join Skull and Bones..."

Both turned and saw two people wearing all black and black ski masks.

_To be Continued..._


	27. Initiation

_Chapter 27_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

**Author's Note: If you've read my stories, you should be able to figure out who the mystery person is by the end of this chapter.**

Cody and Bailey turned back towards each other, surprise and a little panic evident in both of their eyes. However, they didn't have much time to seek out each other as they were interrupted.

"Do you accept?"

Cody and Bailey both paused. After their meeting with Ty and Beth, their gut reactions were to join if to do nothing more that satisfy their own curiosities. And even having time to think about it since, neither had changed their minds.

"We both accept..."

And that's when things got kind of crazy. Immediately, they both had blindfolds placed over their eyes and were marched away. Immediately, Cody and Bailey reached out for each other's hand and took it. Their 'captors' didn't seem to mind and kept marching them away. After about ten minutes, they were stopped. Both heard what sounded like the side door of a van open and both were pushed inside. The back was obviously empty and they pulled themselves up off of the floor of the van. And before they knew it, the van shot out like a bat out of hell.

Cody and Bailey still held each other's hand in their own. And both could feel someone sitting down on the other side of them. And both heard a whisper.

"Don't worry, you're both doing great. We just have a few more stops to make..."

Both immediately recognized the voices – it was Ty and Beth, and both immediately felt a sense of relief.

From what they could figure out, they were the first two to be picked up. So, with thirteen others to be picked up, both realized that what ever was going to happen next would be in a while. They waited and waited. Still having the blindfolds on, they couldn't see who else was in the van with them, but with it getting warmer inside, they knew they were no longer alone.

Finally, Bailey tried to talk to Cody.

She whispered. "Cody?"

Cody whispered too. "Bailey?"

"How many stops has that been?"

Cody paused. "I think that was the sixth one..."

"So, probably eight down, seven to go..."

"Yeah, unless they have multiple vans or picked up more than one like they did with us..."

"True...Where do you think we are headed?"

"No clue. My guess is we are still around campus somewhere, but I have no idea what the plan is once they pick up everyone..."

"You think its back to the Tomb?"

"Maybe. But Ty did say the night of the soiree that no one but Bonesman were allowed in there to see the secrets. So, either we aren't losing the blindfolds until after initiation or we are going somewhere else..."

Bailey nodded and went back to her thoughts, but she did feel Cody squeeze her hand tighter. She kept count of the number of stops in her head. Finally, she counted what she thought was the 13th stop since she and Cody had been picked up. Logically, she knew that there would be no more stops, and now, it was just a matter of going to their final destination. However, they still rode around in the back of the van for what seemed like another hour. As best as she could tell, they could be in New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island or a block from where they were picked up. The one thing she was glad of was that they had used the bathroom before they left the classroom building.

Finally, the van pulled to a stop, and they heard the door open again. One by one, everyone in the van was lead out of the van, and Cody and Bailey could tell they were now inside a building. They were sat in chairs, and after a few minutes, Cody was the one that whispered.

"Bailey?"

From his left, he heard another whisper. "Cody?"

"Bails, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine...You?"

"Yeah. I guess the fun is about to start, huh?"

"Seems like it..."

"Bails, if anything happens that you don't like, start screaming and I'll do my best to get to you."

"Thank you, Codykins...You do the same."

"I will..."

Before they could continue, they were interrupted by a loud voice. And they didn't recognize it either. In fact, they could swear that it wasn't someone's real voice and was being distorted by a device like used in the Scream movies.

"SILENCE! Have respect for the Tomb! You fifteen are now peons, but soon you will be Bonesman. Tonight is your initiation into our family. One by one, you will be inducted into our history and bonded with us forever. So, I say we get started as we are in for a long night!"

This was followed by moments of silence. As the voice had begun to speak, Cody and Bailey had immediately reached for each other's hands again. But this was not to last. Cody felt himself being lifted out of his chair, and Bailey felt his hand being pulled from hers. All Bailey could hear was footsteps moving away from her. She felt her heart began to beat faster hoping and praying Cody was alright.

From Cody's perspective, he felt two hands on his shoulders pushing him in one direction. He heard what he thought was the creaking of hinges and was pushed further into a new room.

"Cody Mitchell Martin! Are you ready to become a Bonesman!"

Cody swallowed and spoke. "Yes."

For what seemed like forever to her, Bailey sat there and waited. She hadn't heard any screaming, so either Cody was alright or he was in a position where he couldn't. Finally, she felt two hands lifting her out of her chair and marching her away. Butterflies were filling her stomach, and she could feel herself begin to shake. And then something happened that eased all of her fears. Suddenly, she wasn't nervous anymore. Like Cody had, she heard what sounded like creaking of hinges, and she was lead into another room.

"Bailey Anne Pickett! Are you ready to become a Bonesman!"

"Yes."

A little while later, Bailey was lead into another room where her blindfold was finally removed. And the first thing she saw was Cody smiling at her.

"You did great, Bails."

Bailey smiled back at him. "I was a nervous wreck until I felt someone tickling me behind my ear. That's when I knew it was you who was leading me..."

"I asked if I could. I thought you might feel better if you knew I was there with you."

"Well, thank you, Codykins. I felt much better. So, what happens now?"

"We wait until everyone else finishes getting initiated. I was first, and you went second. So, we may have quite some time to wait."

"As long as I can see, and I'm with you, I don't mind."

So, for over six hours, Cody and Bailey just sat and waited. They knew they were in the Tomb, but they weren't allowed to leave the room they were in. Fortunately, there were several couches in the room. So, they sat and discussed their up coming finals, their classes for the next semester, their wedding, their interviews and every other topic that came to mind. And having no idea what time it was now, they both grabbed quick naps so they would be fresh with what came afterwards.

Finally, everyone was initiated and all new Bonesman were in the same room with the ones that had just initiated them. The plan was to go out and celebrate at one of the campus's all night establishments as they learned it was now 4 AM. The last four to walk out of the room were Ty, Beth, Bailey and Cody.

Ty smiled at Cody. "There's someone would would like to meet you..."

And with that, a tall figure who was still wearing the mask from the initiation came into the room with them.

"This is who I was telling you about. He may be be able to shed some light on the questions I'm sure you both have. And there is something else I should tell you. He is my grandfather, Ben Wellington..."

Cody paused. Ben Wellington. He had definitely heard that name before. Ben Wellington was a famous inventor and industrialist. He had made quite a name for himself and a fortune to go along with it. He wasn't as rich as Wilfred Tipton, but he was in the neighborhood. "Its nice to meet you, Mr. Wellington..."

"And its nice to meet the both of you. I've been looking forward to meeting the both of you for a long time now. I owe you two a great deal..."

Bailey spoke up. "About that...How do you us owe us anything? We've only just met...And are you the reason the Skulls chose us?"

Ben laughed. "Yes, I am the reason. You see, as my grandson, Ty was a legacy. And Cody...You are a legacy as well..."

Cody just looked at him in confusion. "How is that possible? I'm the first person in my family that I know of that has gone to Yale..."

"You're not...You are a legacy the same way Ty is...Through me..."

Now Cody was really confused. "Huh?"

Ben pulled off his mask, and Cody and Bailey just stared at him in shock.

"Uncle Mitch?"

Ben laughed again. "Close...but not exactly..."

_To be Continued..._


	28. Secrets Revealed

_Chapter 28_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody just stared at the older man in front of him. "But that would make you...and that's impossible!"

Ben smiled. "Really? Would you have said the same thing about finding my brother in Guam?"

Now, Ty was confused as well. "Wait...What? Since when do you have a brother, Grandpa?"

Cody ignored him. "So, what you are trying to tell me is that Ben Wellington is none other than my Great Uncle Tommy?"

Ben/Tommy nodded. "That's right..."

Ty turned to his grandfather. "Tommy? What is going on here?"

"I think you should all sit down and I will explain everything as best as I can..."

The four complied, but their eyes never left the older man standing in front of them.

"Alright, yes, I am Tommy. And like my brother Mitch, we both went off to World War II when we were 18. In my basic training, I was pulled aside because it was shown I had high level of knowledge in mechanics and weaponry. I was transferred over to a secret agency of the army that dealt with creating new weapons for the military..."

Bailey gasped. "Were you at Los Alamos?"

Tommy chuckled. "That wasn't me. I worked on other...things."

Cody looked at him. "The Philadelphia Experiment?"

"No matter what you guess, I can't tell you if you're right..."

Ty was still confused. "Okay, Grandpa, I knew you were in the army, but I never knew you were named Tommy...You always said you were an orphan..."

Tommy nodded. "I had to. I knew too much. Remember, at the end of World War II, the Cold War began heating up. Towards the end, there was chatter that the Soviets knew what I had helped create. The government in its efforts to keep me away from the Soviets changed my identity and sent me off to Yale. And I was chosen to be a Bonesman myself. After college with my new identity, I took what I knew and developed my own business. Of course, I do still do some work for the government from time to time..."

Cody shook his head. "But...but...what about Grandma?"

"I know. I thought if people thought I was dead, your grandmother wouldn't be in any danger. I was afraid if she knew I was alive, people could try to hurt her to get to me. And believe me, it wasn't until I was here at Yale that I learned Mitch was MIA. I felt horrible for Ellie to have think both of her brothers were dead. But, your grandfather came along and helped her deal with that. I had several contacts who kept looking for Mitch, but they never found him..." Tommy smiled. "But you and Zack did..."

Ty interrupts. "Wait...Who is Zack?"

"Zack is Cody's twin brother. And like Cody is, he's your cousin..."

Ty and Cody looked at each other. "Cousins..."

Cody sat there trying to gather his thoughts, and Bailey was rubbing his back to comfort him. "So, is that the favor you felt you owed us for?"

Tommy nodded. "Yes. You brought my dear sister one of her brothers back..."

"So, she doesn't know you are alive now?"

"No, she doesn't. But I've kept an eye on her to make sure she was alright. I know all about your grandfather too. He was a good man – a very loving and devoted family man. And I know all about your mother, Carey and your aunt, Karen. I know all about you and Zack..." He turned to Bailey. "Once Cody fell in love with you, I knew all about you as well Miss Pickett..." Then he turned to Beth. "Just like I did with you as well..."

Bailey nodded. "So that's how you all knew so much about us..."

"Yes. Cody is family, and next June 26th, you will be as well. I'm fully aware of your cousin Cassie as well..."

Cody interrupted. "So, you expect me not to tell my own grandmother that her other brother isn't alive?"

"Yes...You have to..."

"I can't. My grandmother has done so much for me. I know this will make her happy. I can't keep that from her!"

Tommy sighed. "Cody, I know you want to help her. But like I said, this is for her own safety..."

Bailey paused. "Wait a minute...What about ours? We know now!"

"You are all in the Tomb. The secrets of the Tomb must never leave it..."

Ty turned to his grandfather. "So, I now have all kinds of new cousins, but I can't acknowledge that outside of the tomb?"

Cody followed. "And I can't tell my brother he has more cousins too?"

Tommy paused. "I know it sounds harsh, but it won't be forever. Once I'm gone or the situation changes, everything can come out..."

"But that still doesn't give my grandmother or my other great uncle a chance to have their brother back..."

"Its not fair, believe me. I'd love to see them again too, but its just not possible. By agreement with the government, I'm never allowed to reveal my true identity. I only did so tonight because of the protection of the Tomb..."

Cody turned to Bailey. "What do I do?"

Bailey just continued to rub his back. "I don't know, Cody...But whatever you decide, you have my complete and full support..."

Cody nodded and turned back to Tommy. "Alright, for now, I will keep it. But, there may be a time when I feel it necessary to reveal it to my grandmother or my great uncle. If that time arises, I can make no promises..."

Tommy nodded. "I guess I have to accept that. Cody, I know you are a fair person and have wisdom beyond your years. That's why I wanted you to be a Bonesman. I had Ty this year around to be a voice of reason to give guidance to the group. To be able to take on a role of leadership. I was hoping you would have that role next year..."

Cody turned to Bailey and she smiled at him. "I know you would do a good job at that, Cody..."

Cody smiled and turned back to Tommy. "Bailey and I are a package deal. You want one of us, you get both of us..."

Tommy nodded. "So be it...Okay, its 5 AM...and I'm hungry. Lets' go get some breakfast and we'll talk more there..."

So, that's what they did. They headed out to an all night diner and had a very early breakfast. And they did continue to talk. But, since they were in public now, they spoke on more general topics. After eating, everyone was exhausted, so Tommy...Ben in public...drove everyone home. Cody and Bailey had enough energy to let Porkers out before the crashed into their bed.

It was late Saturday afternoon when the both finally woke back up. The both of them just laid in bed together holding each other.

Bailey smiled. "Well, yesterday was a lot more interesting than I expected..."

Cody chuckled. "You're telling me...I just thank God you were there so I had someone to lean on..."

"I'll always be there for you to lean on just like you are there for me..."

Cody smiled. "So, do you think I made the right decision? Part of me still thinks I should tell Grandma and Uncle Mitch..."

"I know...But I also understand why you aren't going to unless you have to..."

"I just feel like I'm letting the family down by keeping this to myself..."

"You aren't letting anyone down...You're doing what you have to do. If anyone is letting the family down, its Tommy..."

Cody had a sad smile. "My family keeps getting crazier and crazier, huh?"

"Yeah, but they're my family now too..."

"You sure you want to join our motley crew?"

"I'm sure I want to marry you..." She teased. "I mean, I have put up with Zack for as long I've known you, haven't I?"

Cody grinned at her. "Yeah, you have...I love you."

"Love you too..."

"Can you believe we slept in till 4 PM?"

"I know...We better get up now or else we are going to totally throw off our internal clocks..."

"Yeah..." Cody began to get up and groaned. "My body should not be this sore..."

Bailey got up to and leaned over and kissed him. "Well, you are an old man now...being in your 20's and all..."

"Just you wait until next weekend and you'll feel it too..."

"Speaking of next weekend...Cody, you never did say why next Sunday would work better to go look for your new suit..."

Cody smiled. "You'll see next weekend..."

_To be Continued..._


	29. The Queen's Turn

_Chapter 29_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The final week of classes came and went, and Cody and Bailey were ready to head into reading week and then finals. That week, Cody and Bailey had spoken again to Ty, Beth and Tommy/Ben. They were going to meet up after finals so that Ty could handover everything to Cody that he would need for next year as well as give him any advice about leading the Skulls. That week was also their last week of working until after finals were over.

When she woke up on Saturday morning, Bailey reached over and found Cody wasn't there along side of her. She sat up and did notice that there was a single rose lying on Cody's pillow with a note attached. Reaching over to grab it, she noticed it was an artificial one. She pulled it to her and read the note.

"_Happy Birthday, Bailey,_

_This rose is like my love for you in that neither will ever fade. And much like you, this rose will forever be beautiful._

_All my love now and forever, Cody."_

Bailey smiled and lifted the rose up to her nose. It was just like Cody she thought to spray it with the scent of his cologne. Of course, that wasn't all she smelled. She could smell something delicious waffling into the bedroom. Bailey quickly got out of bed and made her way to the kitchen. She paused briefly as she watched Cody cooking while carrying on a conversation with Porkers at the same time.

"Porkers, you want to know something else about Bailey?"

Porkers oinked.

"She thinks she's sneaky, but we both know she's watching us..."

Bailey smiled and walked into the kitchen. Cody immediately turned and pulled her into his arms. Leaning down, he placed a kiss up on her lips. "Happy Birthday, Sweetheart..."

"Thank you, Codykins...What smells so good?"

"Your favorites of course...Chocolate chip pancakes, scrambled eggs, grits and b-a-c-o-n..."

Porkers looked up at them and oinked.

Cody leaned down to him and whispered. "Shhhh...it turkey bacon but she doesn't know that..."

Bailey just laughed. "Either is fine with me...I just want to spend my breakfast with my two favorite boys."

Cody walks over and pulls out a chair for her. "Well, have a seat and let us serve you..."

Bailey sits and Cody brings over a plate for her. "Bon Appetite, Mon Chere..."

"Uh huh...I said I wanted to have breakfast with you, so sit that cute tush down next to me!"

Cody smiled. "Yes, Dear..."

Of course, it was all delicious. And after they finished, they just sat at the table.

"So, what do you have planned for today, Codykins?"

"As I recall, its your day to be Queen. What would you like to do?"

Bailey just looked at him. "You have nothing planned?"

"A few things...Everyone is meeting us for dinner tonight at the seafood restaurant from last year. So, there's that..."

"Uh huh...I know you Cody, I know there's more..."

Cody grinned. "Let's just say we have until noon to do whatever you want..."

"Noon, huh? That gives us about three hours...Let me think."

Cody began to hum the theme from Jeopardy.

Bailey laughed. "Good one...Actually, there are a few things I would love..."

"Name them..."

"You remember how you pampered me last year...the shower, the bath and the massage?"

"Of course..."

Bailey smiled. "I want that again!"

Cody smiled. "Your wish is my command. If you wouldn't mind tending to my cohort here, I will go draw you a bath..."

"Just make sure there's room for two..."

Cody did run Bailey a hot bath and added bath gels and bubble bath. He lit some more candles and brought out his ipod so music would fill the room. Before he went and got Bailey, he went and made their bed and placed a large towel on top of it. He then returned to the kitchen.

"My Queen, your bath awaits..."

Bailey smiled and let Cody lead her to the bathroom. Her smile widened as she saw Cody had set it up exactly as the year before. She quickly undressed and indicated for Cody to do the same. Soon, Cody was lounging against the back of the tub, and Bailey was leaning against his chest.

Bailey sighed. "This feels heavenly...Can we stay in here all day?"

Cody wrapped his arms around her. "As long as you are okay with more pruning and the water eventually cooling off..."

Bailey laid her head back on his shoulder. "Then I'll just enjoy this for as long as I can..."

And they did stay in the tub until the water began to cool. Cody got out first and wrapped a towel around his waist. He then helped Bailey out and thoroughly dried her off. He then lifted her up again and carried her into their bedroom and on to the waiting towel. He grabbed the message oil, and once again he gave her a full body massage. Bailey was so relaxed that she almost fell asleep. Almost. When Cody was giving her a sensual foot rub, she pulled his face to hers and kissed him.

"I think its time for us both to feel good..."

Cody could only smile.

A little while later, Cody and Bailey were finally dressed for the day. Bailey smiled when she noticed him packing a picnic basket again. She hoped she knew where they were going. In the car, she noticed they were heading back to the beach, and she couldn't have been happier. Once parked, Cody lead her back to the same place as the year before. He spread out a blanket and began fixing them both a plate. Both laid back and enjoyed the relaxing picnic on the beach. And once they were done, the decided to go for a barefoot walk on the beach again.

They walked down towards a pier before heading back. They were talking about anything and everything, and Bailey wasn't paying attention to where they were going. She happened to look down and saw a bottle floating in the water.

"Look Cody! A message in a bottle!"

Cody had a funny look on his face. "Those things actually happen?"

Bailey smiled. "Maybe it was a school project somewhere to see how far it would go. Let's see what it says..."

Cody shrugged and leaned down and picked it up. "Here, you open it..."

Bailey did and pulled out the note. She unrolled it and began to read it.

"_In a small town, on this day two decades ago;_

_A beautiful baby girl entered the world and said hello;_

_Myself only a month older and half a country apart;_

_Was finally being joined by the other half of my heart._

_And though we were not to formally meet for fifteen years;_

_The dream of meeting you one day helped ease those tears,_

_And on board, that fateful day did finally arrive;_

_For the first time in my life, I felt truly alive._

_And since that day, I have had no doubt in mind;_

_You are the only woman for me, a more perfect one impossible to find;_

_I give you myself heart, body and soul;_

_To make you happy my life's permanent goal._

_I thank you so much for in my life all that is right;_

_My partner, my best friend, my lover, the most beautiful sight;_

_I can't wait to marry you and make you my wife;_

_I promise to love, honor and cherish you for the rest of my life."_

Tears were forming in Bailey's eyes as she looked up at Cody. "You set that up?"

Cody smiled. "Yeah...Bails, I know its been two years, but I want to do it again..." Cody dropped to his knee and took Bailey's hand. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Bailey Anne Pickett. No matter what else happens to me in my life, the greatest honor that will ever be bestowed upon me is that you agreed to be my wife. There haven't been words written yet that can describe just how much I love you. The closest I can say is that I am yours heart, body and soul. Bailey...I ask you again...Will you marry me?"

Bailey dropped to her knee and just threw her arms around Cody's neck. Cody could feel his shoulder getting damp with tears, but he didn't care.

Emotionally, Bailey finally spoke. "Of course I will...The greatest honor I will ever be bestowed is that you chose me to be the one you want to spend your life with. Cody, you are my perfect man, and you will be my perfect husband...I love you so much..."

Cody pulled back and began to wipe away Bailey's tears. "I love you so much too..." Cody leaned in and kissed her.

Of course, they should have watched where they were kneeling. Because their kiss was interrupted by the remnants of wave soaking their pant legs. Both could do nothing but laugh.

"How about we head home and get cleaned up again?"

Bailey smiled again. "I think so...I happened to notice more pig's milk in the fridge. Have any specific plans for that?"

Cody smiled back. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see..."

Several hours and a very intense shower later, Cody and Bailey were dressed ready to go out. Before they left, Cody stopped Bailey.

"I want to give you your gift right now..."

"Okay...sounds good to me."

"You kept asking why I wanted to wait to go shop for my new suit until tomorrow. Well, this is the reason why..." Cody handed her an envelope. Bailey opened it and smiled when she saw what it was. Cody continued. "I wanted to wait so we could shop for _our_ new interview outfits together. Bails, I promise, this was the idea I had back then..."

Bailey smiled. "I know. And I really appreciate the thought, Codykins. It is something that I will really need..."

Cody smiled too. "The trick will be to find an outfit that doesn't completely distract them by your beauty and lets them see the big brain and heart of yours..."

Bailey leaned up and kissed Cody. "The only one I ever want to distract with my beauty is you. I already know you appreciate my mind..."

"That I do...Bails, to me, you are the total package..."

"Right back at ya...Now, lets go meet our friends..."

Everyone showed up for dinner and everyone had a good time. A birthday cake with twenty candles was brought out, and everyone dug in to it. As they were sitting around afterwards, Zack, Cassie, Cody and Bailey were talking.

Zack sat back. "So, what's been new around here lately?"

Cody looked at Bailey and smiled. "Oh...Nothing too exciting..."

_To be Continued..._


	30. Finishing the Fourth Semester

_Chapter 30_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

After a late night, Cody and Bailey both slept in on Sunday morning. And once they did wake up, they took their time and had a late breakfast together. A quick shower later, both were dressed and ready to head out. And in preparation, Cody wore a button up shirt to make it easier to try suits on with as well as a pair of dressy shoes. For her part, Bailey brought along a pair of heels with her.

The first stop was to look for Cody's suit as they figured it would be the easiest to find. And to their credit, it was. All it took was a visit to the local Brooks Brothers store. With Bailey's definite approval, Cody went with a navy blue two button suit with light blue pinstripes that matched his tie. And Bailey even encouraged Cody to go with suspenders as well that matched his tie.

As they were checking out, Cody turned to Bailey.

"You know, this is kind of funny..."

"Why's that?"

"A new suit to get into a school that will teach me a job that will have me wearing scrubs everyday..."

Bailey laughed. "I know, but we may have to find other reasons for you to wear it. I have to say, it looked amazing on you..."

"You think so?"

Bailey smiled. "I know so. And help me, I don't know why, but the suspenders sent a shiver down my spine..."

Cody grinned. "Note to self...more suspenders..."

Once they were done, they began to shop around for an interview suit for Bailey as well. They checked several places and several designers such as Anne Klein before Bailey finally found a store that she liked the selection. Of course, she was then faced with the dilemma of a skirt suit or a pants suit.

"Cody, what do you think I should go with?"

Cody paused. "Well, studies have shown that even in this modern day that skirt suits are still viewed more favorably by interviewers..."

Bailey sighed. "I know, but I want to judged by my merits, not by my legs..."

Cody smiled. "I know...And you should be. But, you do know you have amazing legs..."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "So says you...And you're biased."

"Guilty...Bails, I want you to go with what you are most comfortable with. Either way, you will look beautiful."

"Thanks, Sweetie..."

Eventually, Bailey did settle on a skirt suit albeit a very conservative one. And Cody gave his seal of approval on it. And like the team they were, hers had light blue pinstripes as well. Cody even talked her into getting a white silk blouse to wear underneath as well as a scarf that had light blue as well as some other 'power' colors.

Once done with their shopping trips, they returned home and began their finals preparation. Finals were less than a week away now, so they wanted to get started. Their first final would be Microbiology on Saturday morning. Financial Markets followed on Sunday afternoon, and Stats followed it on Monday afternoon. After a break of a day, Health Economics and Public Policy was on Wednesday morning, and Biology of Reproduction would wrap things up on Thursday afternoon.

But before they could really get into the study groove, they had their usual meeting with Bill again. And on Monday morning, they again were in his office.

Bill smiled at them. "Congrats again on your interviews. Jo and I know you both will knock them out. And we are both honored to be living next door to two very powerful people on campus..."

Cody and Bailey looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Bill grinned. "Lets just say much doesn't happen on campus that I don't find out about. I feel sorry for anyone who crosses you two from now on..."

Bailey just shook her head. "I don't know about all of that..."

"We'll see...Anyways, this is the next to last time we get to gather like this. I'm going to miss them."

Cody nodded and smiled. "So will we."

"Alright, you only need 24 more hours total, that's 12 a semester. And we know two of your classes for next fall will be your Economics senior project and your Biology senior project. I've already approved you to sigh up for the Economics one and Dr. Wainwright has approved of your Biology one. So, you're both already signed up for those. So, two down, two to go..."

Bailey nodded. "We decided to finally break up our schedules this semester...First though, we want to sign up for Computers and the Law..."

Bill laughed. "You read the list of gut classes I gave you then. Well, if you want to take a class about spam, identity theft, online gambling and porn, more power to you. I hear its ridiculously easy..."

Cody laughed. "Kind of what we were looking for..."

Bill types something. "Alright, you're in. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11-12:15. Done. What's next?"

Bailey smiled. "Well, we looked, and this is where our schedules finally part ways. I want to take Animal Behaviorism..."

Bill nodded. "Probably a good idea...Let me find it..." He searched. "Here it is...and you are in. I will say, the professor is a new one next semester. I don't know anything about him or her, so I can't offer you any advice...And its Tuesday and Thursdays, 9-10:15. Bailey you are done."

Bill turns to Cody. "What about you?"

"Probably a good idea for me to take Human Anatomy..."

Bill laughed. "Wouldn't hurt..." He searched again. "And here it is...And it too is Tuesday and Thursdays 9-10:15...You're in..." He looked back up at them. "Something tell me you two planned that..."

Bailey smiled. "We did..."

Bill printed out their scheduled. "Twelve hours and no classes on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays. Very nice..."

Cody smiled. "We plan on spending Mondays on our Economics senior project, Wednesdays on our Biology senior projects, and Fridays on whichever one we need to catch up on..."

"Smart thinking...I know you'll both do well...Well, have fun studying, and I'll see you both on Sunday afternoon...

Cody and Bailey left Bills office and began to walk home.

"And we have Tuesday and Thursday afternoons free to work again..."

Bailey turned to Cody. "Think we'll be able to keep ourselves motivated on Monday mornings?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah, that's why I think its best to due Economics on Mondays. We can go to the library and research together..."

Bailey smiled. "That is a good idea...And for Biology, we should finish up everything we want done on the first half of the papers by the end of the semester. Even though we won't turn it in until a year from now, by having half done, we'll keep ourselves on schedule..."

"Yeah...And if we do finish early, we can start the second halves of them early and having our last semester be even more laid back..."

Bailey laughed. "We've both worked so hard every day of our school lives. Will we know how to goof off?"

Cody laughed. "I used to do my fair share back in the days at the Tipton. Of course, I was usually cajoled into goofing off by a certain someone..."

"That is true..."

"And if all else fails, we'll call Zack for some goof off tips..."

"Oh, he'll love that..."

Cody grinned. "Well, considering we're taking time to read over his Economics paper for him, he'll owe us one..."

Bailey just shook her head. "Even in college, he's having you do his homework..."

The rest of the week was spent studying, studying and studying some more. Finally, Saturday morning arrived and finals began. For the next six days, Cody and Bailey did nothing but study, eat, sleep, and take finals. Thursday afternoon finally arrived and they turned in their last final. Returning home, both just fell back into the couch.

"Congrats, Bails...We're now college seniors..."

Bailey laughed. "I guess we are...I'm so tired now, I could sleep until the first day of fall semester..."

"Tell me about it...But, this year, we don't have to drive up to Storrs to help Zack and Cassie move out. I'm pretty sure I'd be worthless right now if I had to do that..."

"Me too..." Bailey paused. "But Cody, next summer it will be us moving out..."

"I know. Once we know where we'll be going to grad school, we'll have to go apartment searching again..."

Bailey sighed. "Think we'll find a place as perfect for us as this is? I mean, its been our first real home as a couple..."

Cody smiled. "Bails, we'll never forget this place. And we do still have another year here. But what makes this my home is because you are here. And our next place will be home because you will be there too..."

Bailey leaned her head on Cody's shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. "I feel the same way...We do have a busy summer coming up that we need to be ready for..."

"Let's get ready for it tomorrow...Today, we rest..."

_To be Continued..._


	31. Family Matters

_Chapter 31_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The week after finals, Cody and Bailey returned to work full time. They figured with the time they would be taking off for their interviews that they should go ahead and get started. And that Saturday was Yale's graduation. They hadn't attended the one the year before, but with Cody's new cousin and his girlfriend graduating, both thought that they should attend.

And it was while they were there that they met even more family members they never knew they had before. Tommy/Ben was there with his wife as well as his son, Ty's father and his wife. Cody and Bailey also met Ty's younger sister who was a sophomore at Yale. It was kind of surreal for Cody as he was meeting even more family members, but he could do nothing to acknowledge that fact. Bailey just held his hand tighter as she knew how hard it must have been on him. But, not everyone was clueless. Tommy/Ben brought his son over to talk to them.

"Cody, Bailey, I'd like you to meet my son Mitchell..."

Cody shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Sir..."

Mitchell smiled. "I understand you are taking over the role of leadership next semester...And I understand you and I are first cousins once removed..."

Cody was a little taken aback. "You know?"

"Yeah, Dad told me everything. I'm glad to know I have cousins out there. I understand you and I agree on something else as well..."

"What's that?"

"We both agree Dad should let everything out of the bag so we can all be one big happy family..."

Cody nodded. "I guess we do. I just want my Grandma and Great Uncle Mitch to know about their brother..."

"So do I. I would love to meet them as well as your mother and aunt..."

Cody smiled. "I know they would as well. Mitchell, this is my fiance, Bailey Pickett..."

Mitchell smiled again. "I have heard all about Bailey as well. A pleasure to meet you, Bailey. And as weird as this sounds, welcome to the family..."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you...and you too, welcome to the other side of it..."

Mitchell paused. "I need to ask a favor of the two of you if I may...Over there is my daughter, Ella..." He paused and laughed. "I guess Dad kept some reminders of his old life around. Anyways, I've had Ty keep an eye on her the last two years. Can I ask the two of you to keep an eye on her next year?"

Cody nodded. "Of course. She is my cousin after all..."

"I hope you will be able to tell her that eventually...I appreciate it. I will warn you, she can be hard headed and stubborn..."

Bailey grinned. "Sounds like everyone else in the family."

At that time, Ty and Beth joined the group and had pictures taken with the family members. Once they were done, they pulled Cody and Bailey to the side.

"Meet us tomorrow afternoon at the Tomb. We have some things to show you and handover to you both. Right now, we have to get going..."

Cody and Bailey nodded. And the next afternoon, they did meet Ty and Beth at the Tomb. Ty gave them a form to sign so that their signatures would be on the groups checking account and official campus forms. After that, they gave them a guided tour of the Tomb and all of its secrets.

"Just remember that meetings are on Thursday evenings. Dinner is provided. Don't worry, its taken care of so you don't have to worry about it. If you have any other questions, you have our numbers to give one of us a call..."

Cody and Bailey nodded. "I think we have everything."

Ty smiled. "There's one more thing..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black book and gave it to Cody. "Inside, there are names and numbers of members. Some of these numbers are very hush hush, so let no one see this book. If you get in trouble, don't hesitate to get their help though..."

"Alright..."

"And they have your number as well, so if you get strange phone calls, you've been forewarned..."

Cody laughed. "Thanks..."

"And a little after the first of the year, dossiers on the top students in the junior class will show up on your back door. You'll find them interesting and will be able to creep them out with them..."

Bailey laughed. "Can't wait..."

"The only thing I ask of you is to look after my little sister. Like us, she is a legacy. I hope you two will keep her out of trouble..."

Bailey nodded. "We will. We've already promised your Dad we would..."

Ty chuckled. "I should have known he would know by now..."

"What's next for you two?"

Beth smiled. "Grad school. Stanford. We figured we get away from the craziness for a while..."

Bailey smiled. "Well, once you get settled, let us know what your address is. A wedding invitation will be forthcoming..."

"We will...You two take care of each other and this place for us. It can be kind of crazy, but its a part of us..."

The next couple of weeks went by with nothing more pressing than going to work everyday. Cody and Bailey did spend a few evenings over at the Tomb just going through and familiarizing themselves with everything. A few nights, a few of there fellow fifteen would show up and they would hang out and get to know each other better.

Finally, it was the weekend before they were to head to Ithaca before their first interview. And they were going to have visitors. Zack and Cassie were coming down to hang out at the beach. All day Saturday, they did just that. Once their day was over, everyone returned back the apartment for a home cooked meal. As they ate, they sat around the table and chatted.

"So, let me get this straight. You both only have classes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings?"

"Of being in actual classes, yeah. But Bailey and I will be spending Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays doing the research and prep work on our Economics and Biology senior projects..."

Zack grumbled. "Must be nice..."

"So, Zack...I guess you all are putting your final touches on fall rush preparation..."

Zack grinned. "Yeah. And surprise of surprises, they elected me President for next year..."

Cody began to laugh. "What were they thinking?"

"Hey!"

Bailey laughed. "God help them then..." She turned to Cassie. "What about you, any leadership positions for you?"

"Just the sergeant at arms..."

Cody grinned. "Well, you keep Zack in line, so you should do great..."

Zack rolled his eyes. "What is this? Pick on Zack day?"

Cody smirked on him. "Well, after 18 years of Pick on Cody days, I think I'm due one..."

"You know, Bro. You two really should have joined a fraternity or sorority. They're really worthwhile and the networking for the future will be helpful..."

Cody and Bailey looked at each other and smiled.

Cassie picked up on it. "What?"

"Yeah, did you guys join a group you haven't told us about?"

Cody paused. "Do you two promise that what we tell you doesn't leave this table?"

Zack and Cassie both nod.

Bailey smiled. "Cody and I are now both Bonesmen...We're both members of Skull and Bones..."

Zack and Cassie looked at them in shock. "What?"

Cody grinned. "Surprise..."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, we are..."

Zack paused. "Wow...I know I joked with you about it, but I never saw it coming. What's it like?"

"Sorry, Zack...That we can't tell you. They like to keep their secrets and won't hesitate to protect them..."

Cassie turned to Bailey. "So, are the legends about them true?"

Bailey smiled. "I can neither confirm or deny anything..."

Zack shook his head. "This is wild..." He paused and grinned. "Bro, you now have access to some very powerful people..."

Cody rolled his eyes. "So?"

Zack grinned. "Well, as your only brother, you have access to hook me up with a very powerful group to network through. You know, this is going to work out just fine..."

Cody just hung his head and groaned.

_To be Continued..._


	32. The Interviews

_Chapter 32_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next week, Cody and Bailey went to work as normal. However, they both had Friday off for their interviews in Ithaca. The plan was to immediately leave after work on Thursday afternoon for the five hour drive to the campus. The animal hospital had already agreed to watch Porkers again while they were gone, so he was going to go into work with Bailey on Thursday. So, when they left the house on Thursday morning, their bags were packed and their interview suits were in bags hanging in the back seat. After working that day, Bailey spent a final few minutes with Porkers while she waited on Cody to pick her up. When Cody arrived, they were both off.

Since it was close to 5:30 when they finally got on the road, it would be late when they pulled in to Ithaca. Once they were in upstate New York, they did pull off to grab a quick dinner before getting back on the road. It was just past 11:00 when they pulled into the waiting area of their hotel. Cody went in with their reservation number and came out shortly with their keys. After parking the SUV, they hauled their bags up to their room. They changed for bed and climbed into bed together.

"So, what's our plan of attack for tomorrow?"

Bailey paused. "We get a good night sleep, we go to our interviews, rock them, come back here, change clothes and then look around campus. On Saturday morning, we'll look around Ithaca before we head back home..."

Cody nodded. "Good plan. Alright, let's get some sleep then..."

"Yeah...Goodnight, Cody. Love you..."

"Goodnight, Bails...Love you too..."

The next morning, they were both dressed in their suits. Both let the other make any last minute changes, and they they were off to campus. On the way, they peppered each other with questions that might be asked of them. Finally, they pulled into the visitor's parking lot and began walking towards their destinations. Fortunately, the medical school and veterinary school were not too far from each other. Before heading to their separate interviews, they spent a few minutes giving the other a pep talk.

Cody smiled. "Good luck, Sweetie. You're going to knock them dead!"

Bailey smiled back at him. "Good luck to you too, Codykins. Go show them that they would be fools not to want you!"

They leaned in for a quick good luck kiss before heading their separate directions. Bailey entered the main College of Veterinary Medicine building and made her way to the appropriate office she was supposed to be at. After signing in, she sat down and waited. Finally, she was called back into an interview room. And right from the very beginning, she felt in control of the interview. She was able to back up and explain her resume in full detail. Every question she was asked was one she and Cody had prepared for, so she had a quick and polished answer. By the time it was over, the man and the woman interviewing her were both very impressed. As they shook her hand when she left, they both told her that she would definitely be hearing back from Cornell.

Likewise, when Cody entered the Medical College Building, he immediately reported to the room he was supposed to be in. He signed in and too waited to be called back. And like Bailey, he nailed his interview as well. He was actually told that his credentials and test scores were amazing, and that Cornell would be honored to have him. In fact, almost half of his interview was him detailing his experiences on College Jeopardy. The two men shook his hand as he left and told him they would be in touch. Cody felt good when one of them winked when he said that.

Outside, Cody and Bailey met up again and filled each other in on how their interviews had gone. Both were pleased that other seemed to have done so well. As they walked back to the SUV, they filled each other in detail about what was asked of them both. After returning to the hotel to change, they returned back to campus. With fortunate timing, they were able to join a campus tour group about to head out. While on the tour, Cody and Bailey took notes when questions were asked about off campus housing, good neighborhoods, and things to do in Ithaca for fun.

On Saturday, they checked out some of the neighborhoods that had been mentioned and some of the local places of interest. They did check to see what kind of ice skating rinks and golf courses were nearby too. While they were out, they picked up several apartment magazines for future reference. After grabbing lunch at a renowned campus eatery, they were back on the road back to New Haven.

Two weeks later, they were off again, this time to Philadelphia. This drive would only take about three and half hours and most of it would be on good roads – either I-95 or the New Jersey Turnpike. With them getting in about 9:00 PM, they decided to wait before grabbing something to eat. And fortunately for them, they had gotten a great discount rate at the Philadelphia Tipton. After checking in, they decided to just get something to eat at one of the restaurants at the hotel so they would be back in their rooms early to get a good night's sleep.

The next morning, they were both dressed again in their freshly dry cleaned suits. After a quick breakfast, they made their way to campus. A metro campus was definitely a new experience for them. Fortunately, they found the visitor's parking lot. And they discovered that the veterinary school and medical school were on opposite sides of 38th Street from each other. Like before, they stopped to wish each other good luck again.

"Knock 'em dead, Codykins..."

"You too, my little Hay Bail. You show them that you should be at the top of their wish list..."

Bailey smiled and leaned in and gave him a good luck kiss.

Both went their separate ways again. Bailey's interview went as well as her first one did. The interviewers loved her experience of growing up on a farm and working at an animal hospital. And they loved asking her about her experiences on the ship and with College Jeopardy. Bailey knew when it was over, she had nailed it. She shook their hands, and again, they said they would definitely be in touch.

Cody's interview was similar. The interviewers spent a lot of time talking about his MCAT scores and grades at Yale as well as his working experience at the lab. Cody explained that with his family's medical history, he would like to help other families dealing with the same. That answer seemed to go over really well. Plus, Cody got the distinct impression that they were giddy over stealing away one of Yale's top undergraduates from the Yale Medical School. Cody didn't bother telling them that he hadn't applied there. Once the interview was over, Cody felt very good about it. He shook their hands, and they too said they would definitely be in touch.

Bailey and Cody met up again and went over their interviews with each other as they walked back to their SUV. Both smiled as they felt the other had indeed knocked them dead. Driving back to the Philadelphia Tipton, they changed clothes again and returned back to campus. And like at Cornell, they joined a tour group of the campus. Again they took notes about off campus housing and places of interest. And again, they grabbed several apartment magazines for future reference. They would put that information with the information they had gotten from Max about Philadelphia.

On Saturday, they again drove around the campus area to look at some of the places they had heard about. They checked out some of the neighborhoods Max had mentioned, and again, they searched out a ice rink and golf courses. Once they grabbed lunch at a local campus eatery, they were on their way back to New Haven.

Of course, the week they got back, they had something else to do. Wednesday was June 26th – their other and soon to be future anniversary. For that night, they returned to their bed and breakfast. And at sunset, they again took a walk on the beach. Finding another dune, they sat and watched the sun descend over the water.

Cody turned to Bailey. "One year from today..."

Bailey smiled. "I know...One year from today I will officially be Bailey Martin..."

Cody smiled. "And I will officially be the luckiest man in the world..."

"And I'll officially be the luckiest woman in the world..."

Cody grinned. "With one year left, what does Bailey Pickett want to do in her swansong?"

"She just wants to keep doing what she had been doing. Getting a good education and spending as much as time possible with the man she loves..."

"I think we can make that possible..."

"Good...I love you, Cody."

"I love you too, Bailey." And with that, Cody leaned in and kissed her. "How about we head back for dinner..." Cody grinned. "...and then dessert..."

Bailey grinned. "Let's go!"

The rest of the evening was spent with them recreating their night there three years ago. The only unfortunate change was that they had to both get up early to head back into work the next day. But the next morning, both couldn't help but smile. Not only had they spent a night expressing their love for each other, but now it was less than a year till they became man and wife.

The next week two weeks flew by. Both were scheduled to be off the 4th of July as it was. And with their interview at Tufts the Friday after, they loaded up their SUV and headed back to Boston on the evening of the 3rd, Porkers in tow this time. Zack and Cassie were going to be in Boston too, so they met them again at the rest area.

Once again, they split up into guys and girls and drove on to Boston. Cassie and Bailey discussed their interviews and wedding preparations. Zack and Cody discussed other things.

"Look, Bro...I've been researching the bachelor party. From what I can tell, we don't need to stay in a fancy place..."

"Zack..."

"Codester, all we need the room for is to sleep and pass out..."

"I think you are forgetting somethings Zack..."

"Like what?"

"What are you planning on doing by day when we are recovering from the night before?"

"Hanging out by the pool...Ohhhh...We probably need a place with a good pool then..."

"Exactly..."

"Back to the drawing board, huh?"

Cody laughed. "Its okay. Why don't you check out Mandalay Bay. I hear it has a nice pool complex..."

Zack grinned. "Or the Palms. That's where all the hot ladies are supposed to be..."

Cody rolled his eyes. "Zack...I already have the hottest lady. I'm not looking for another one..."

Zack sighed. "I have a hottie too, but nothing wrong in looking..."

Cody shook his head. "Think of it this way. Everyone who is going has a girlfriend or wife. Which place do you think their girlfriends or wives will be more apt to let them go?"

Zack nodded. "Good point..."

They all met back up at the Boston Tipton and got the keys to their suite again. Once settled in, they went and saw Carey again. It was decided that the four young adults and Carey and Arwin would all go out and have fun on the 4th together the next day. And that's what they did. They went to several of the street festivals and concerts in the city. And when it got dark, they all found a place with a great vantage point to watch the fireworks.

The next morning, Cody and Bailey were dressed again in their interview attire and were up and out before Zack and Cassie woke up. However, Carey did catch them before they left.

"Look at the two of you...So grown up..." Carey paused. "My baby boy looks like a man about to go take over the world..."

"Mom!"

Bailey smiled and Carey smiled. "Oh, I don't care anymore. You two will be married in less than a year, and with that, you two will have your own babies of your own. No matter how old they get, they will always be your babies. Your Grandma still calls me her baby girl and I don't mind..."

Cody sighed. "Alright..."

Bailey smiled again. "Yeah. I know your Mom is right. Our babies will always be our babies..."

"Well, we still have five years before they should be showing up!"

Carey just laughed at them. "You two look great. I know you will wow them. I'll see you both when you get back."

Like before, Cody and Bailey drove over to the Tufts campus and parked in visitor parking. Seems that colleges like to put their vets schools and med schools close together, and Tufts was no different. Before they each headed their separate ways, they did their now usual ritual.

"Good luck, Codykins. You go show them that you are the candidate they can't do without..."

"Good luck to you too, Bails. You go show them what I already know – that you are the most amazing lady out there..."

They gave each other a good luck kiss and made there way into their interviews. And like before, both were completely in their elements. They had an answer for every question thrown their way. Both did notice the questions weren't as hard hitting as they could have been though. But, they weren't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. They talked about their high school experiences and their college experiences so far. And both sets of interviewers were extremely impressed with their transcripts and their test scores. Walking out, both shook the hands of their interviewers and felt good about how they did.

Meeting back up afterwards, they filled each other in on how their interviews had gone as they walked back to the SUV.

Cody laughed. "Guess we don't have to look to get the lay of the area this time, huh?"

Bailey smiled. "No, but we do have something to do..."

Cody nodded. "Yeah. Time to go talk to Chef Paulo to finalize our reception menu so we can get our invitations out..."

_To be Continued..._


	33. The Finishing Touches

_Chapter 33_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody and Bailey returned to the Tipton and to their suite so they could change clothes before meeting with Chef Paulo. Entering their suite, they found Zack and Cassie sitting on the couch watching TV. And Zack and Cassie looked up to see Cody and Bailey dressed to impressed, and both whistled.

Cassie smiled. "Look at you two!"

Zack nodded. "I guess greed is indeed back..."

Cody rolled his eyes at his brother and removed his jacket. Of course, it was then Zack noticed the suspenders.

Zack laughed. "Nice suspenders...When did you turn into Larry King?"

This time Bailey rolled her eyes. "I think he looks very handsome in them. I'm the one who told him to go for them, and I like them..."

Cody grinned back at his brother. "And that's why I'm wearing them...I'll take her word over yours..."

Cassie laughed. "Ignore Zack. They work on you..."

Bailey nodded. "I know, right? I saw him try them on and wow..."

Cassie turned and looked at Zack. "Hmmm...I wonder..."

"Wait...what?"

Everyone laughed and Cassie turned back to Cody and Bailey. "So, what are you two up to now?"

"We're going to change and go meet up with Chef Paulo to finalize the reception menu. You guys want to come with and help us out?"

"Sure. Could be fun."

Cody and Bailey changed back into t-shirts and shorts and the four headed down to the Tipton kitchen. They found Chef Paulo in his office looking over somethings. When they knocked on the door, he looked up and smiled.

"Come on in and have a seat..."

They did and Cody spoke up. "We really appreciate you doing this for us, Chef Paulo..."

"Anything for my protege..."

Cody smiled. "Where should we start?"

"Cody...Didn't I teach you anything? For wedding reception menus, you should always have how many entree options and why?"

Cody laughed. "I remember. You need three. One is beef, the other is a healthier non red meat like chicken or fish and the third is a vegetarian option..."

Bailey smiled. "That does sound like a good idea...One of my sisters is a vegetarian, and I know she would appreciate it..."

Chef Paulo nodded. "Very good. If I may suggest, Eggplant Parmesan is always a safe choice..."

Cody and Bailey looked at each other and nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good."

"Any preferences between chicken and fish?"

Cody turned to Bailey. "How about baked salmon?"

"Sounds good to me..."

Chef Paulo smiled. "This is going easier than I thought. The beef option can be tricky. Do you want to go with something like roast beef or prime rib or..."

Zack grinned. "Or filet mignon!"

Chef Paulo laughed. "Yes, that too..."

Bailey smiled. "That works for me..."

Cody nodded. "Me too..."

Chef Paulo nodded. "Done...Now if I may suggest some side dishes, you can choose mixed vegetables or baby red potatoes or a rice dish..."

Cody turned to Bailey. "I say we go with mixed vegetables and potatoes...Bring some of the farm to our wedding..."

Bailey grinned. "I like that. That sounds perfect to me..."

"Okay, with that, your main entrees are done. And of course, there will be a salad of mixed greens and hot bread served before the meal. To make things easier, I would recommend having boats of dressings on the table for everyone to choose from. I would say two or three choices would be fine."

Bailey nodded. "Well, I say ranch has to be one of them..."

Cody nodded too. "And maybe a raspberry vinagrette..."

"And I think a Honey French would be a good third..."

Chef Paulo wrote those down. "Consider it done...Now, the only things left are the wedding cake and appetizers...As for appetizers, may I suggest sea scallops wrapped in bacon, crab cakes, vegetable spring rolls, stuffed mushrooms, various quiches and a selection of cheeses and fruits?"

Cody and Bailey smiled. "Sounds perfect to us..."

Zack spoke up. "What? No mozzarella sticks or chicken tenders?"

Cody turned to Bailey. "Maybe Zack's right. Some of our guests have...different tastes..."

Bailey laughed. "That's true...probably a good idea."

Chef Paulo nodded. "Done and Done...And that takes care of your meal. Now, I know you guys are still looking at wedding cakes, but I would be honored if you would allow me to help with that as well..."

Bailey smiled. "I think we would be the ones honored..."

"Good. Just tell me what you are thinking of and I'll make it happen..."

Cody paused. "Well, I was thinking it should be six tiered..."

Bailey turned to him. "Why six tiered?"

Cody smiled. "One for every year I've known you and been in love with you..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "Six tiers it is then..."

Chef Paulo smiled. "That works...What kind of cake do you want?"

Cody paused again. "Can we alternate them by tier?"

"Of course..."

Cody turned to Bailey. "How about we alternate yellow cake and chocolate cake?"

Bailey grinned. "Perfect!"

Chef Paulo grinned at them. "Don't you worry. You will have a beautiful wedding cake..."

Zack laughed. "If you can keep Woody away from it for a while..."

"Now, Cody...what about your groom's cake?"

Cody smiled. "I have an idea for that, but I want it to be a surprise for my bride."

"Just let me know what you have in mind later. I'll forward your entree ideas on to Maria so she can get your invitations in the mail..."

"Thank you, Chef Paulo. We truly appreciate everything..."

"My pleasure..."

Cody, Bailey, Cassie and Zack all headed out. Of course, after talking about food, they were all hungry, so they went to grab a late lunch. Once that was done, they returned to the suite to relax. Cody and Bailey were lounging on one of the couches with Cody's arm around her shoulder and Bailey's head on his.

"All we need now is flowers and our rings..."

Cody nodded. "What flowers do you want?"

Bailey paused. "I think I would like roses and carnations in pink and roses and azaleas in lavender..."

Cody smiled. "Then flowers are done then..."

"Are you okay with those?"

"Of course. Plus, it gives me ideas for flowers for you down the road..."

Bailey smiled. "Very sneaky, Mr. Martin."

"Well, Mrs. Martin, that only leaves us picking out our wedding bands..."

"Cody, I don't need anything fancy with mine..."

"Me either...You know, we do have the rest of the afternoon. Why don't we go looking around for them, and then we'll be done?"

Bailey smiled. "Let's go!"

And that's what they did. After a few shops, they both found a matching set they thought was perfect. They gave the jeweler Maria's card, and a phone call later, everything was settled. The jeweler told them that they would need to stop in over Christmas for fittings, and they could give him the engravings they wanted on the rings then.

As Cody and Bailey walked out of the store, they turned and faced each other.

Bailey smiled. "We're done..."

Cody smiled back. "All we have to do now is get through our senior year..."

_To be Continued..._


	34. The Final Year Begins

_Chapter 34_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The rest of the weekend in Boston went by smoothly. Of course, the four of them realized there was something they hadn't done yet. So, on Saturday morning, they all four logged into their accounts on their respective college's websites to check their grades. And everyone was pleased with how they had done. Zack was especially proud of his A in Economics. Cody and Bailey still had their 4.0s and Zack and Cassie were still on the Dean's List.

After the weekend was over, everyone returned back to Connecticut and their respective apartments. Cody and Bailey continued working. In fact the rest of the summer, working was the main thing they did. They still spent the occasional weekend playing golf and doing other things around New Haven. Further, they spent some time in the Tomb getting ready for the next semester. However, on one particularly rainy weekend, they got a little ambitious.

"Bails, its suppose to rain all weekend. What do you want to do?"

Bailey slumped back into the couch. "I don't know. We could go see a movie or just hang around the house, but it seems like we could both be doing something a lot more productive..."

"What do you have in mind?"

Bailey paused to think. "Well..."

"What?"

"We could hit the library and start doing research for our senior projects..."

Cody smiled. "Yeah?"

"Sure, why not?"

Cody leaned in and kissed her. "God, I love you..."

Bailey smiled. "I love you too...How many other people do you think would be excited by starting their homework early?"

"Not many. That's why I'm grateful I have you..."

"I know how you feel. Come on, lets grab notebooks and folders for whatever we have to make copies of. And this way, if we have to check out books, we'll have the edge on everyone..."

Once they had their backpacks loaded and their raincoats and umbrellas, they ran out to the SUV and drove over to the library. Normally, campus parking is horrible, but a Saturday morning in July, they had no problems finding a spot close. And once they got inside, they quickly realized they had just doubled the number of people inside not including librarians and workers. They found a place to set up a base of operations and went to work.

Both immediately headed for the computer lab. While Cody was looking up the new proposed bill on line, Bailey was searching the university online library catalog. Cody printed out a copy of the bill along with all legislative comments figuring he'd waste the universities ink instead of theirs. While he was doing that, Bailey was writing down the dewey decimal numbers for books she thought might be useful. Cody went back to the internet and printed off several journal and media articles discussing the proposed legislation. Again, he printed off those he felt were useful. While he did that, Bailey started researching veterinary insurance programs.

Soon, they switched and Cody was searching for books on economic effects of past health care reform while Bailey was searching for any proposed legislation that could impact her topic. Once they had printed off everything they had found, they dropped off their copies at their base of operations. Individually, they went searching for all of the books they were looking for. Almost at the same time, they met up at the check out desk with their books.

After a quick stop for lunch in the library cafe, they returned back and switched to researching their Biology topics. They went through the same process as before, and by the time the library closed at five, both of their bags were full of books and print outs. Unfortunately, it was still raining, so Cody volunteered to go pull the SUV around, and Bailey would keep their backpacks dry. They returned home and dumped their bags in their home office. By then, both were ready to do something different and did go out to see a movie. They didn't feel so bad then because they had been productive.

The next day, they spent time going through everything they found and highlighting and making notes for future reference. Continuing to work ahead was something they did the rest of their summer. So much so that the week before school started, both felt they had a large part of their research done at least for their Economics paper. They both smiled knowing they should be able to present Bill an outline of their papers in the first couple weeks of classes. And they didn't think they were far from being able to outline the first half of their Biology papers.

Soon enough, summer was coming to an end and their senior years were set to begin. The week before classes were to start back was a busy. They worked through Wednesday of that week so they could have off Thursday and Friday off. Thursday, they had two major things to do. The first was Cody had to live up to Zack's challenge and join his and Woody's fantasy league. He asked Bailey to help him run the team, and together they did some research for it. But, it being Cody and Bailey, they did things their own way. They used math and probability to determine who they thought would be good. And Thursday afternoon, they had the live draft on-line.

The other thing they had to do on Thursday was to prepare of their first Skull & Bones meeting. Fortunately, Ty had left them a good outline from meetings of the year before, so they decided to follow it as closely as they could. As nervous as Cody and Bailey were for the meeting, everyone else was more so. At least Cody and Bailey had had Ty and Beth helping them out and getting used to what to expect. They did what they could and had the first meeting be pretty informal. It was basically a getting to know everyone again meeting around the dinner that was catered for them. Cody and Bailey quickly could tell that there were no Chets in this group, and both felt good about what they would be able to accomplish.

Friday was spent hanging out with Max and Tapeworm. Even though they had other things on their plates now, they weren't about to forget their other friends. Again, they went shopping for books together. Cody and Bailey had to laugh as they bags they carried out this semester weren't very heavy at all. In fact, all of their new textbooks, notebooks and supplies fit into one bag a piece. Once that was done, the four of them went and had dinner and hung out together.

On Sunday night, Cody and Bailey laid in bed together, snuggling together.

"Can you believe we start our senior year of college tomorrow?"

Cody smiled. "I know...And all we really have to do tomorrow is meet Bill in his office for our first meeting about our senior project..."

Bailey laughed. "Think he'll be surprised with how much we already have done?"

"I don't know. I can see him not being surprised. Either way, I was going to spend tomorrow morning organizing my materials so that I can write up my outline tomorrow afternoon..."

"Good idea..."

"If we give them to him this week, he may give us the go head next week to start writing the papers themselves..."

"That sounds like a good plan to me..."

Cody paused. "You know, I can still remember the night before we started our senior year of high school as clear as day..."

"Me too..."

Cody smiled. "And the night before each senior year, I got to go to bed holding the woman I love in my arms..."

Bailey smiled. "And she loved the feeling both times..."

"Both times, we knew we only had a year before we were scheduled to begin the next great adventure of our lives..."

"Going to Yale then, and now, marriage and grad school..."

"Bails, every great adventure I go on in life, I want to go on with you..."

"You will. I'm never letting you go anywhere without me..."

"I would never go anywhere without you..."

Monday morning, they did organize their research. And their meeting with Bill went about as well as they hoped it would. He was impressed with what they had done and told them to email him their outlines when they finished them. The rest of the afternoon was spent writing up their Economics outlines. Once they both finished, they had the other read over them for any suggestions. Once they both were satisfied, they fired them both off in an email to Bill.

Tuesday was their first day of having actual classes. The walked to campus together, and for the first time, they split apart to head to class. As it was syllabus day, both classes were short. Cody thought Human Anatomy looked pretty basic, but he knew it was a class he should take. Bailey was curious about Animal Behaviorism. Like Bill had said, the professor was brand new and the class maybe had 15 people in it. Bailey shrugged. Not many people liked to take an unknown professor.

"Good morning, Class. I'm Professor Owen. This is my first class I've taught at Yale, and I hope you all are excited about it as I am. This looks to be a small class, so we'll be able to make it more interactive. I know today is syllabus day, so I'll hand them out and let you get on your way. But, there is reading I expect everyone to have done by Thursday..."

As he handed out the syllabuses, Professor Owen couldn't help but notice Bailey. He had to admit to himself that she was a very beautiful young woman. Maybe this semester wouldn't be so bad after all he thought.

He dismissed the class, but stopped Bailey before she left.

"Miss Pickett, right?"

Bailey stopped and turned around. "Yes?"

Professor Owen smiled. "I've heard a lot about you from the Biology department professors. They say you are one of the best students."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you. I do work hard. And my fiance completely supports my devotion to my education..."

Professor Owen's smile faded. "Fiance?"

Bailey nodded. The change in his facial expression didn't go unnoticed to her. "Yeah. He was going to take this class with me, but it was at the same time as Human Anatomy. He's going to medical school, so that was better suited for him. I'm going to vet school, so this was better suited to me..."

"He must be a very lucky guy then..."

Bailey smiled. "I think I'm the lucky one. He's my whole world."

Professor Owen grinned and stared at her. "Well, I look forward to having you in my class this semester..."

Bailey felt a little uneasy. "I look forward to it too. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go meet Cody and head on to our next class..."

As Bailey left, Professor Own watched her walk out. "I'm looking forward to it very much, Miss Pickett..."

_To be Continued..._


	35. Taking Precautions

_Chapter 35_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Bailey made her way out of the building her class was in and saw Cody waiting for her on a bench outside. She immediately walked over to him and sat down next to him. Cody leaned in and gave her a kiss.

"How was Human Anatomy?"

Cody smiled. "It shouldn't be that difficult. Of course, the professor could use your help with his wardrobe. I sat in the front row and the smell of mothballs almost knocked me out..."

Bailey laughed. "My poor baby..."

"I'll live. How was Animal Behaviorism?"

"Well, for one its small. There may only be 15 students in there..."

Cody grinned at her. "They're going to hate you for ruining the curve..."

Bailey giggled. "Wouldn't be the first time..."

"So, what was this new professor like?"

Bailey paused. "Well, he's young and enthusiastic..."

Cody looked at her. "But..."

Bailey sighed. "I don't know. He stopped me after class and I got a weird vibe from him..."

"What kind of weird vibe?"

"I don't know. When I mentioned I had a fiance, it was like he was upset about the fact..."

"Does he make you feel uncomfortable?"

Bailey shook her head. "You know. I'm probably totally misreading the situation. Its probably nothing..."

"You sure? If you don't feel comfortable, its not too late to find another class..."

Bailey smiled. "I'm sure. Now, how about we go learn about online gambling and internet porn?"

Cody smiled. "If we have to..." He paused. "But Bails, if this guy continues to creep you out, let me know..."

"I will..."

And with that, Cody and Bailey stand up, grab their backpacks and made their way off to Computers and the Law. And the class was packed. The lecture hall probably held four hundred people and it was full. Bailey and Cody smiled at each other. Next week, there may be a fourth of the people who actually show up. After they gathered up their syllabus, they both headed home. It was Tuesday, and that meant they had to go in to work.

Wednesday was much the same as Monday except they met with Dr. Wainwright. Their professor was impressed with what they had found so far and suggested they do some actual research so they had empirical data to go along with their work. For Bailey, that would be easy. She had an animal hospital full of potential research participants. And Dr. Ryan had said she was free to use some of the blood taken from the animals for examination. Of course, she also said she could have as much feces as possible. Bailey had already devised a system to keep track of all of that.

For Cody, at its simplest, he needed twins. Dr. Wainwright said a sample size of ten sets of twins would be sufficient, but he could use more if he found them. Cody decided that he would try to find at least five sets of dizygotic twins and five sets of monozygotic twins. One set of monozygotic twins he could knock out of the way easy. He could just get samples from Zack and himself. Fortunately, the Yale Daily News gave research students free ad space to solicit test subjects. So, after their meeting, Cody stopped by the college newspaper and set up an add to be run.

Thursday was back to real classes. And for Bailey, that meant sitting through Professor Owen's class again. Feeling that she had overreacted the first day of class, Bailey took her usual seat in the front of the class. Class seemed to be progressing without incident until the very end. As Bailey was packing her backpack to head out to meet Cody, Professor Owen approached her again.

"Miss Pickett, I was hoping I could have a word with you..."

Bailey looked up. "It will have to be brief, I'm supposed to meet my fiance to head to our next class together..."

Bailey couldn't help but notice that Professor Owen frowned again when she said the word 'fiance'.

"Well, I was wondering if you would be interested in being a research assistant for me this semester. With you heading off to vet school, it would be some interesting work for you..."

Bailey just shook her head. "Sorry, my plate is already full enough this semester. I'm working on both my senior projects in Biology and Economics, working two days a week, and...extracurricular activities. Add that wanting to spend as much time with Cody as possible and continuing to plan our wedding, I just don't have the time."

Professor Owen frowns. "That's disappointing. I was really hoping I would get a chance to work with someone of your...abilities..."

The way he said that sent a shiver down Bailey's spine. "Sorry...Good luck in your search though..." And with that, Bailey grabbed her backpack and headed out of the classroom. She kept walking out of the door of the building and right past Cody. Cody stared in surprise for a moment before he ran up to catch up to her.

"Bailey!"

Bailey snapped out of her thoughts and turned to see Cody trying to keep up with her. She stopped and she sighed.

"Sorry, Codykins...I guess I was just thinking about something..."

Cody was concerned. "Bails, is everything alright?"

"You remember that strange vibe I got from Professor Owen the other day?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, it got even worse today..."

"What happened?"

"He asked me to be his research assistant. He didn't seem happy when I turned him down, and again, he frowned when I mentioned you..."

Cody nodded. "Alright. What else did he say?"

Bailey sighed. "He said he was disappointed because he wanted to work with someone of my abilities, but the way he said the word 'abilities' suggested he meant something else..."

Cody felt his anger rising. "Oh really...Maybe I should go have a word with this Professor Owen..."

"Cody, don't...I fully plan on just going to his class and ignoring him the rest of time...If he's a creep like that, that's not our problem..."

Cody tried to calm himself down. "Alright, I won't say anything. But Bails, if he does anything else, I will do something..."

Bailey nodded. "That's fair..."

Cody paused to think. "In fact, there is something I think we should do right now..."

"What's that?"

"You remember what Bill said? He felt sorry for anyone who crosses us right now. Bails, we have power and resources now at our disposal. I'm not saying we do anything but find out what we can about Professor Owen. You remember what Sun Tzu said...Know your potential enemy..."

"Cody, I don't know..."

"Bails, we're just going to have him checked out. Maybe he's clean and just eccentric. But maybe he's not...Wouldn't you prefer to know?"

Bailey paused to think. "You're right..."

"Don't worry, Sweetie. We'll find out for sure. And if this guy does mess with you, he'll have to deal with me..." Cody smiled. "...assuming there's anything left of him once you're done with him..."

Bailey smiled and leaned up and kissed Cody's cheek. "Thank you..."

"Bails, you don't have to thank me. My job is to take care of you. I promised your Dad I would, and I promised myself I would. I'd go to hell and back to protect you..."

"We've come close to there a few times, haven't we?"

"A little too close on occasion..."

Bailey nodded. "You're right. Let's make a few phone calls. Better to nip this in the bud now then let it get potentially worse later..."

Cody smiled. "Good. Now come one, we're running late for Facebook 101..."

That night was their second Skulls meeting, and while there, Cody and Bailey made a phone call to Ben/Tommy and explained the situation. He told them to sit tight, and he would see what he could find out. Once that was taken care of, the proceeded to enjoy a night with their fellow Bonesman.

The next day was Friday, and Cody had a busy day fielding phone calls. Seems his add in the paper had an overwhelming response. He spent the entire day setting up appointments with twins to get blood and other samples from. He also wanted to interview them about their experiences with twin telepathy. He was able to schedule appointments with them for the next Wednesday and Friday. By the time Friday was over, he had secured the participation from 8 sets of each type of twins including Zack and himself.

From there, Cody and Bailey continued working on their projects, going to class, working and their other responsibilities. Bailey kept going to Animal Behaviorism and doing the work for it. She didn't volunteer like she normally would, but she would answer questions when she was called on. And she was always out of the class as soon as class was over to avoid Professor Owen as much as possible.

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: The Kentucky Wildcats finally fell tonight to the Florida Felons...err...I mean Gators. Its hard to be competitive in the game when you have to play a talented team and the refs. It was a horribly officiate game where I'm sure the Wildcat team now feels violated afterwards.**


	36. A Mark of Failure

_Chapter 36_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Finally, it was the week of the first round of exams. Cody and Bailey weren't too worried about Computers and the Law, but they still did study for it. Beyond that, Cody studied for Human Anatomy and Bailey studied for Animal Behaviorism. Bailey was determined to do well on the exam and wasn't going to let a creepy professor interfere with her education. Since Cody's exam was on Tuesday and Bailey's on Thursday, Cody helped Bailey by quizzing her on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

"Bails, you know this stuff cold..."

Bailey smiled. "Thanks, Codykins."

"Creep or not, you are going to nail this exam..."

"I sure hope so..."

Cody sighed. "I can't wait until we get the info back on this guy. I'll feel a lot better once we know what we are dealing with..."

Bailey kissed his cheek. "I know. But, if I do the work and know my stuff, there's nothing he can do about it..."

Cody nodded. "I know. And you always do the work and know your stuff. I don't know if I've said it yet, but I'm really proud of you in the way you've handled this..."

Bailey smiled. "Well, it really helps that I have you here to vent to and to support me..."

"Bails, I'll always be here for you..."

Thursday was test day, and Bailey thought she had nailed it. She thought she knew everything that Professor Owen has asked for. However, when she turned her exam in, Professor Owen gave her another weird look. Bailey tried to dismiss it and continued on to her next class.

And from there, her day got better. First and foremost, she was with Cody again. That always made her feel better. Second, the scantron exams for Computers and the Law were already graded and posted. Cody and Bailey both had aced the test. Finally, at the animal hospital, a dog was brought in with obvious allergies and the owner had approved of Bailey taking a blood sample. This would be extremely useful for her Biology senior project.

That weekend, they had been invited up to a joint party in Storrs hosted by the guys' fraternity and the girls' sorority. Deciding they were due some fun, they and Max and Tapeworm headed up for it. Once they got there, everyone relaxed and had some fun. Bailey even felt the stress she had felt fading away as Cody held her in his arms on the dance floor. She loved how everything that ever bothered her always seemed to fade away when Cody was holding her.

Towards the end of the night, Cody and Bailey were sitting at a table with Zack and Cassie.

Zack smirked at them. "So, how are your cake schedules going?"

Cody smiled at his brother. "Lets just say even London would think Computers and the Law was easy..."

Cassie began to laugh. "Really?"

Bailey nodded. "Its almost embarrassing how easy it is. But I'm glad it is, so we don't have to worry about it as much with everything else..."

Cassie paused and looked at her cousin. "What else is going on?"

Bailey sighed. "Let's just say my professor in Animal Behaviorism is creepy..."

"In what way?"

"He's always looking at me in ways that make me uncomfortable and seems to be really upset by the fact that Cody is in my life..."

Zack turned to his brother. "And what are you doing about this?"

Cody sighed. "We've made a few phone calls on inquiry that we are waiting to hear back from..."

"That's it?"

"Trust me, I want to have a few words with this guy, but I promised Bailey I wouldn't..."

Bailey nodded. "I'm trying not to let it bother me..."

Cassie smiled at her. "I wish you good luck with that..."

Zack wasn't through though. "What if he tries something else?"

Cody paused. "Then he won't like what happens..."

"What will you do?"

"I don't know yet...I haven't decided if I call in the big boys or handle it myself..."

Zack nodded. "If you need help, all you got to do is call me..."

"I appreciate that, Zack..."

Bailey sighed. "I hope it doesn't come to that...I don't want to cause any problems..."

Cody turned to her. "Sweetie, you aren't! You've done nothing wrong..."

"Cody...Just don't do anything stupid. We graduate next year. Don't do anything to jeopardize that..."

"Bails, I will jeopardize that if it means protecting you..."

"You know I appreciate that, but there has to be other ways..."

"I hope so, Sweetie...but I will do what I have to do..."

Bailey pulled Cody back on to the dance floor to try to calm him down. And she was able to. Cody just sighed and looked into her eyes.

"Bails, I don't mean to sound crazy. Its just I would do anything to protect you...You're my whole life. I would gladly risk mine to save yours..."

Bailey smiled at him. "I know, Sweetie. And that means more to me than I can ever say. But right now, he hasn't done anything that we can do something about. Its kind of hard to prove uncomfortable looks..."

"I know. But you don't deserve to be subjected to them. You are one the brightest minds in the whole university. His job as a professor should be to encourage your education, not make you uncomfortable..."

"Codykins, as long as I have you, there is nothing he can do to me..."

Cody smiled and leaned down and kissed her.

The next week started as usual. On Monday, they both spent time writing their Economics papers. On Tuesday, they went to class and to work. On Wednesday, they both spent time in the Biology labs doing experiments with the samples that had taken thus far. Both were getting interesting results and took numerous pictures and detailed observations.

On Thursday, Cody's Human Anatomy class had been canceled so he was going to continue working on his Economics paper and meet Bailey in their other class later.

Bailey smiled at him. "Wish me luck, I should be getting my exam back today..."

"Good luck, Bails...I know you destroyed it!"

They kissed each other goodbye and Bailey headed off to campus. As Cody was walking back to the home office, he heard a knock at the back door. He went to see who it was, but when he got there, all he found was a wrapped folder laying on the back mat.

Cody picked it up and unwrapped. Inside the folder, he found a note.

_Everything you need to know about Professor Roger Owen._

Cody sat down at the kitchen table and began looking through all the information in front of him. As he kept reading, he could feel his blood beginning to boil. The only thing he knew was that he needed to go find Bailey ASAP. So, stuffing the file into his backpack, he flew out of the apartment and over to campus.

Meanwhile, Bailey sat through her class and continued to take notes. At the end of the class, Professor Owen spoke to his class.

"I have your exams graded, please pick them up on your way out..."

As Bailey gathered her things, everyone else went up and picked up their tests. Bailey got up to get hers. She picked it up and saw something she had never expected to see. She had gotten an 'F'. Bailey was completely shaken by this and wondered how this could have happened. However, her thoughts were interrupted.

"Miss Pickett, I was disappointed on your performance on your exam. I would like to ask you to stop my by office so we can discuss this further..."

_To be Continued..._


	37. Fighting Back

_Chapter 37_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Bailey just couldn't stop staring at the test paper in front of her. She had known this stuff down cold. How in the world had she gotten an 'F'? This didn't make any sense whatsoever.

"Miss Pickett?"

Bailey looked up. "Huh?"

Professor Owen looked at her. "I said your performance on this exam worries me. I would like to meet you in my office later to discuss this...Are you..."

Before he could finish, Cody came running into the classroom. "Bails!"

Bailey turned and saw Cody running in. "Cody?"

"I have some bad news. Porkers was throwing up this morning! I think we should take him into see Dr. Ryan..."

"Porkers? We have to go!"

Professor Owen interrupted them. "Miss Pickett, please stop by office tomorrow morning at 10:00. I really need to discuss this with you..."

Bailey was distracted though. "Yeah...Fine...Whatever..." She turned to Cody. "We have to get home!"

Cody and Bailey ran out of the building and towards the apartment. A safe distance away, Cody stopped her.

"Bails, slow down..."

"But, Cody! Porkers is sick!"

Cody shook his head. "No, he's not. He's fine and was napping when I left..."

Bailey looked at Cody in confusion. "What?"

"Bails, I had to get you out of there, and I needed an excuse..."

"Cody..."

Cody sat her down on a bench. "Let me guess, you got your exam back today?"

Bailey just looked at him. "Yeah...but I didn't..."

"You didn't do well on it...I was pretty sure of that..."

Bailey was confused. "Cody, how in the world did you know that?"

Cody pulled out the file he had received that morning. "Read this and I think you'll understand..."

Bailey took the file and began to read through. He eyes began to bulge, and like Cody, her anger began to rise. "That son of a..."

"I know..."

"Cody, I can't go to his office tomorrow knowing what I know now!"

Cody smiled. "Oh yes you can...Bails, I have an idea..."

"What idea?"

Cody sat there and explained to her what he had in mind. "Well?"

Bailey paused. "It could work...But what if...?"

"Bails, do you trust me?"

"Of course I do, Cody..."

"Then believe me when I say I won't let anything happen to you..."

Bailey looked into Cody's eyes and believed him. "Okay..."

"Trust me, Bails. Everything will work out. I promise. But we do have two stops to make after work this afternoon..."

"Two stops for what?"

Cody stood up. "Come on...I'll explain them to you on our way to the Art of AOL..." He smiled. "We aren't going to let this jerk cause us to miss our first class..."

Cody and Bailey went to their next class and to work afterwards. And like Cody said, they made two stops on their way back to their apartment. Once home, they had dinner and continued to hash out their plan.

"Cody, what if I lose it tomorrow?"

"Believe me, Bails...After reading that, I wanted to run into that classroom and kill him..."

"How did you hold back your anger?"

Cody grinned. "If I just killed him now, he wouldn't learn his lesson first..."

Bailey grinned right back. "And we're going to teach him that lesson, right?"

"Uh huh..."

Bailey paused. "And afterwards, what is your plan?"

Cody sighed. "To be honest, Bails...I don't know. All I know is that I can't let him get away with what he's trying to do..."

Bailey smiled at him.

"What?"

"I believe it was just two years ago that you were worried about whether you would be able to protect me and our family. Look at you now..."

Cody smiled. "I guess I have more confidence in my ability to do so now..."

"You always had the ability to do so...But Cody, don't do anything you will regret later..."

"I promise, Bails...I won't..."

The rest of the evening was spent going over everything one more time. That night in bed, Bailey asked Cody to hold her close, and he had no trouble doing that in the least. Bailey had a little trouble sleeping, but Cody was there to comfort her until she did finally sleep.

The next morning, they were up early. The did a run through of their plan to make sure it would work. And it did perfectly. Soon, they made their way across campus to the main Biology building. Before Bailey headed off to Professor Owen's office, Cody gave Bailey a pep talk.

"Bails, you're going to do just fine. Just remember, you've done nothing wrong here. And no matter what happens, know that I love you and will stay by your side..."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you, Codykins. I love you too. Now, let's do this!"

Cody gave Bailey a quick kiss for good luck and off she went. She walked to Professor Owen's office door and knocked. Once she heard 'Come in', Bailey made sure she was ready and walked in.

Professor Owen looked up. "Ahhh...Miss Pickett. Glad you could come. I hope everything is alright at home..."

"Its fine..."

"Good, I'm glad you came today. I was hoping we could discuss your exam..."

Bailey nodded. "Alright..."

Professor Owen looked her up and down. "To be honest, I expected better from you. I would really hate to see you blow your chance at vet school by not doing well in my class..."

Bailey paused. At the same time she felt both irate and nauseous. "Well, I will do better on my next exam and the final and bring it up..."

"I imagine you will...Maybe I could...tutor you for them?"

"Oh?"

Professor Owen smiled. "Yes...I think if we work together we can get your grade raised..."

"I'll take that into consideration..."

Professor Owen paused and smiled. "Or...We can make sure you get an A in my course and you will never have to attend another class..."

Bailey wanted to throw up. "How would I do that?"

Professor Owen grinned. "All you would have to do is be nice to me..."

"I don't think I've been unpleasant to you in the past..."

Professor Owen laughed. "That's not what I mean...I mean I give you an A, and you give me something..."

Bailey swallowed. "What?"

"Easy. You. From the first day of class you've caught my eye, Miss Pickett. Be mine and all mine the rest of the semester, and the A is yours..."

Bailey acted dumb. "Be yours?"

"I want you to be in my bed and let me pleasure you. I want to rock your world more than that wimpy fiance of yours ever could..."

Bailey finally couldn't take it. "You can take your offer and shove it up your ass! That 'wimpy' fiance of mine is more of man on his worst day that you could ever dream of being! The sight of you makes me sick! What kind of professor are you? I would never sell my dignity and self respect or ruin my relationship with Cody for anything or anyone!"

And with that Bailey ran out of the office...and right into the arms of Cody. He stood there and just held her for a while as he rubbed her back.

"Bails? Are you okay?"

Bailey pulled pack and smiled. "Oh yeah..." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the tiny digital recorder they had bought the day before. "We got him!"

_To be Continued..._


	38. Escalating the Fight

_Chapter 38_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody smiled at her. "You darn right we do!" Cody pulled out a second digital recorder.

"Cody...Why did we need a second one?"

"Our back up...Just in case the other one didn't work, the microphone I put on your charm bracelet watch would pick up everything too..."

"Was that necessary though?"

"Well, it also let me listen to everything that went on in there. I wanted to make sure if he tried anything funny, I would know immediately so I could run in there and stop it...I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you..."

Bailey shook her head and laughed. "You know...Sometimes your plans are a little over the top..."

Cody paused. "Maybe...but one of them got me you..."

Bailey smiled. "No, Cody...You got me, not your plan. But I do appreciate the lengths you'll go to to protect me..."

"I'll always try to protect you...Now, its on to Step Two..."

Bailey nodded. "Right. Let's go..."

Cody and Bailey made their way to the office of the Head of the Biology department. They were told he was busy at the moment, but they just smiled and said they would wait. About thirty minutes later, the department head stuck his head out of the door and motioned them in.

"Miss Pickett, Mr. Martin...To what do I owe the pleasure this morning?"

Cody turned to Bailey and she nodded. "Professor Reed, I would like to file a formal complaint against Professor Owen for sexual harassment..."

Professor Reed sat back in his chair. "Miss Pickett, that's a serious allegation. Are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely...It happened not more than 45 minutes ago. We came straight here after it happened..."

Cody spoke up. "We would also like to add a count of grade tampering as well..."

"Grade tampering?"

"Yes..." Bailey pulled up her backpack and pulled out her test. "I believe that Professor Owen graded my exam improperly and gave me a grade lower than I deserved. I would like to request another member of the department regrade it..."

Professor Reed shook his head. "I can't do that, Miss Pickett..."

Cody spoke up. "Yes, you can, and under the Yale Charter, you are required to. We looked it up yesterday. Chapter 6, Section 12, Clause 8 states and I quote 'If a student alleges improper conduct by a professor in the grading of exams and coursework, the student is entitled to having said exams and coursework regraded by another member of the department upon the showing of the professor's bias or untoward conduct towards the student.'..."

Professor Reed just looked at Cody. "I stand corrected then. But as you said, there has to be proof of bias or untoward conduct..."

Bailey held up the digital recorder. "The evidence is right here...Would you like to hear it now or at a hearing?"

Professor Reed sighed. "Let's hear it now..."

Bailey played the recording of her meeting with Professor Owen. Professor Reed just slouched back into his chair. For the longest time he was silent. Finally, he picked up his phone and instructed his secretary to cancel his appointments for the rest of the morning.

"Why do I have the feeling you two laid a trap for him that he walked right into?"

Cody smiled. "This isn't on us...He's done this before and we have proof of it..." Cody held up the folder from earlier.

"You do know I will need all of your evidence..."

Cody shook his head. "I don't think so. We'll give you copies of this file and Bailey's test, but not the originals. No offense, but we want to make sure the originals don't disappear. And will upload the clip of the conversation to your computer if you like. Oh, and if you want, I've recorded our whole conversation as well. We want to make sure we have evidence of it being reported..."

Professor Reed just looked at Cody. "Are you sure you're Pre-Med and not Pre-Law?"

Bailey smiled. "He's Pre-Med...He's just brilliant..."

"Alright, I'll have my secretary come in and write up your formal complaint against Professor Owen. It will be served on him today and he will have a week to respond..."

Cody spoke up. "I assume you will be suspending him pending this matter..."

"I can't do that...Innocence until proven guilty, you know..."

Cody smirked. "Would you like me to give you the cite in the Yale Charter that says you have to? Besides, if you don't suspend him, our next stops today are the New Haven Registrar and the Yale Daily News..."

"You would really go to the press?"

"Of course. Professor Reed, Bailey is my life. Nobody messes with her and gets away with it. Besides, how do you think it would look in the court of public opinion? The 4.0 student on full scholarship, the Albright Award Winner, graduating in three years with double majors and brought acclaim and pride to the school by winning College Team Jeopardy versus the brand new professor with a history of sexual harassment?"

Professor Reed sighed. "We'd be crucified...Alright, once the complaint is done, I will call Professor Owen in and let him know he has seven days to respond and is suspended until further notice. Mr. Martin, while we are getting Miss Pickett's statement, I need you to make copies of what you have..."

That is exactly what they did. Bailey gave her statement while Cody made copies. Once the copies were made and while the secretary was typing up the complaint, Cody uploaded the recording to Professor Reed's computer.

"Alright, its 12:30 now. Professor Owen is in class until two. I ask you both be back here at 1:45 so Professor Owen can see his accuser."

Cody and Bailey nod and go grab a quick lunch on campus. As they sit there eating, they are both finally able to take a deep breath.

"Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"Thank you again..."

"For what?"

"For pretty much doing everything. This has been a lot like when I broke my ankle. Both times you've stepped up and taken care of me when I needed it..."

Cody smiled. "Bails, I have no doubts you could have handled either without me..."

"But fortunately, I didn't have to...because I do have you. I don't want you to ever doubt just how much you mean to me."

"I know. You mean just as much to me..."

Cody leans over the table to kiss Bailey.

"Now, I want you to be prepared. It could get ugly when we get back..."

"You think so?"

Cody nodded. "Professor Owen is probably going to shift the blame on to you. However, we have proof of what happened..."

Bailey shook her head. "Cody, if he starts talking smack about me, hold me back..."

Cody smiled. "I was about to ask you to do the same for me..."

Bailey smiled back. "We'll hold each other back..."

"Yeah we will...You ready to deal with this slime ball again?"

Bailey nodded. "Lets get it over with..."

Cody and Bailey gathered their things and made their way back to the Biology building. They went up to Professor Reed's office and he motioned for them to go sit in the conference room. He made a phone call and asked Professor Owen to come to his office. When Professor Owen came in, he was caught off guard by the sight in front of him. Cody and Bailey were sitting on one side of the table hand in hand while Professor Reed sat at the head of the table.

"Professor Owen, please have a seat."

He did just that. "May I ask why I'm here?"

Professor Reed sighed. "Miss Pickett filed a complaint of sexual harassment against you earlier this morning. She claims you offered her an A in her class if she would...do certain things for you..."

Professor Owen was silent for a moment. He didn't think she would go this far. "Professor Reed, I..."

"Do you affirm or deny that happened?"

"Of course I deny it! In fact, it was the..."

"This isn't a hearing, Professor Owen...You will have seven days to respond to her complaint and produce any evidence you have..."

"Evidence?"

"Further, you've also been accused of grade tampering."

Professor Owen got angry. "That's absurd!"

"Well, Miss Pickett has requested another professor regrade her exam..."

"She can't do that!"

"Actually, as it was pointed out to me, under the Yale Charter, she can and she has..."

Professor Owen sat back in his chair. "I'll get you a copy of her exam then..."

"No need. Miss Picket has given us a copy of her original exam. Professor Owen, again, you have seven days to respond. At such time, a hearing will be held to determine the merit of this complaint. While this matter is pending, you are suspended from teaching your classes..."

"But...but..."

"That is all, Professor Owen. Miss Pickett, Mr. Martin, you are both free to leave as well. We will forward a copy of Professor Owen's response to you as soon as we get it. Good day everyone." And with that Professor Reed got up and left. Cody and Bailey stood up as well.

Bailey glared at Professor Owen. "You picked the wrong people to mess with!"

_To be Continued..._


	39. Even More Ammo

_Chapter 39_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

When they got back to the apartment, Cody and Bailey slouched on to the couch. Cody slid behind Bailey and began rubbing her shoulders.

"How does that feel?"

Bailey sighed. "Heavenly..."

Cody began to think as he rubbed her shoulders. "Bails, what would think of us getting away for the weekend? Go somewhere to get our minds off of things?"

Bailey turned and looked at him. "And go where?"

"Anywhere you want to go...Just name it."

Bailey smiled at him. "Cody, I appreciate that. I really do. But we don't have to go anywhere..."

"You sure? You give me the word and we can be on the road in an hour..."

"I'm sure. Besides, we have too much work to do to go away somewhere..."

"Is there anything else I can do?"

"No, you're here. That's all I need."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm just sorry you've had to deal with all of this..."

"He's not going to get away with it..." Bailey smiled. "Besides, Professor Owen has already proven how stupid he is..."

"Yeah?"

"For one, he called you wimpy. That couldn't be further from the truth..."

Cody flexed his bicep. "You saying my working out has paid off..."

Bailey laughed. "Oh yeah..." She took Cody's hand. "But second, he should know the only person who could ever rock my world is you. And you do that every single time..."

Cody smiled. "You inspire me...And...I love you."

"And that's why we rock each other's worlds...Because we love each other..."

"Tell you what...Why don't we go shower to cleanse ourselves of his stink..."

Bailey smiled. "I'd like that. And then I want to show you who the only person I belong to is..."

A few hours later, they were both in their pajama pants snuggled up on the couch watching a movie. They decided to get away after all in a sense. A weekend at home with just the two of them (and Porkers) sounded just fine to them. Saturday was a lazy day where neither got off the couch all day. Sunday followed a similar path. The only thing that really changed is where they called in take out from. As they laid in bed Sunday night, Bailey turned to Cody.

"Thank you for such a relaxing weekend..."

Cody smiled. "You're welcome. I enjoyed it too..."

"What do you think this week will bring?"

"I say we just do what we normally do. Tomorrow we'll keep working on our Economics papers..."

"How is yours going by the way?"

"You know, I think I'll have a rough draft done by Halloween..."

Bailey smiled. "I think I will too..."

"And with my Biology one, I think I will be finished with my experimenting this week. I hope to get my final outline for the first part to Professor Wainwright next week..."

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm about done with mine too. And thank you again for putting up with me dealing with dog and cat feces for a few weeks..."

Cody smiled. "Bails, you're going to be a vet. I don't think this is the last time we'll probably have to deal with it..."

Bailey laughed. "True..." She leaned in and kissed him. "Cody?"

"Yeah, Sweetheart?"

"Thank you for loving me like you do..."

"Thank you for letting me..."

The beginning of their week went just as they had figured it would. Monday, they continued to work on their papers. Both were about a third of the way through their rough drafts. Tuesday, they went to class. And Animal Behaviorism had an interim professor teaching the class now. Bailey felt sorry for the new lady, but it was Professor Owen's fault. After class, they went to work. Wednesday, they both spent their days in the Biology labs, and both were successful in completing the last of the experiments they needed done. Thursday was a repeat of Tuesday except for one big change.

Thursday was their normal meeting night for the Skulls, but they decided instead of having a members only dinner, they would have a dinner outside of the Tomb so everyone's boyfriends and girlfriends could meet the group their significant other was spending so much time with. And it went very successful. And it had its surprises too.

Cody and Bailey were talking when a young woman came up to them.

"You're Bailey Pickett, right?"

Bailey turned. "That's me..."

"I'm Jessica, Gary's girlfriend. I believe you are in my Animal Behaviorism class..."

Bailey recognized her. "Of course...I recognize you now..."

"Do you know what happened to Professor Owen?"

Bailey turned to Cody who just nodded. "Yeah, I do. He was suspended for sexual harassment..."

Jessica was surprised. "Are you serious? What happened?"

Bailey sighed and explained everything that had gone down the week before.

Jessica just shook her head. "That bastard! I hope you make it so he never teaches ever again!"

Bailey smiled. "Thank you. We think we have him right where we want him..."

Suddenly, an idea popped in Cody's head. "Jessica, if I may ask, how did you do on the exam in that class?"

Jessica shrugged. "I got an A...I did pretty well I thought..."

Cody smiled. "Do you still have your test?"

"Yeah, I keep old tests to study for finals..."

"If you wouldn't mind, we'd like to borrow it..."

Bailey turned to Cody. "We would?"

Cody grinned. "Yes, we would...I have an idea..."

Cody gathered the two girls and explained what he had in mind.

Bailey smiled. "That's brilliant!"

Jessica smiled too. "By all means. I can get it for you tonight. You know, what Gary said was true. He said you two were as nice as could be and as well as smart as could be..."

Cody smiled. "He's a good guy too..."

Jessica laughed. "Must be why I put up with him."

After the night was over, Cody and Bailey followed Jessica and Gary back to their apartment and picked up Jessica's test. They both hurried home to see if Cody's idea had merit. Once home, they pulled Bailey's test out of their safe where they had kept everything. They sat side by side on the couch with the tests side by side too. After examining them, Cody turned to Bailey and grinned.

Bailey grinned right back. "The answers are almost identical..."

"Exactly...How can Owen justify that two exams with almost identical answers get an 'A' on one and a 'F' on the other..."

"He can't..."

"Bails, we've got him..."

"I know..."

Cody paused. "You know, some former Skulls are high powered attorneys. We could call one of them for help in really putting the screws to him..."

Bailey smiled. "Nope...Cody, I want you to do this..."

Cody turned to her. "Are you sure? Wouldn't you rather have a trained professional nail him to the wall?"

"No. I know you can do it. There is no one I trust more..."

_To be Continued..._


	40. The Response

_Chapter 40_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next day was Friday, Cody and Bailey's usual day to do whatever needed to be done. They didn't want to sit around and wait on Professor Owen's response, so they both worked on preparing their outlines for the first half of their Biology projects. All day, they just kept working and both were almost complete with their outlines when Bailey's phone rang late that afternoon.

"Hello?...Uh huh...Okay, Thanks..."

Cody looked up. "Who was that?"

"Professor Reed's secretary...They're e-mailing me Professor Owen's response..."

Cody nodded. "Well, we have a good idea of what he will say, but lets see what he says anyway..."

Cody got up to stand behind Bailey as she opened her e-mail. And a minute later, she was notified of a new message. She clicked on it and downloaded the file attached. Cody and Bailey were both surprised by the length of the response – only a half a page. Professor Owen basically just said Bailey was the aggressor and Professor Owen wasn't going to report it as he felt she was just upset over her test grade.

Bailey just shook her head. "What a grade A creep!"

Cody began rubbing her shoulders. "I know. But, he's going to get his. He has no idea the surprises we have in store for him. Does it say when the hearing has been scheduled for?"

Bailey checked again. "Yeah, next Friday afternoon at 4:00..."

Cody nodded. "We'll be ready..."

"Yeah, we will..."

"You know, Bails. Its time to start thinking about what Phase Two of our revenge is going to be..."

Bailey turned around. "Cody...As much as I would like to cause him pain, I don't want us to stoop to his level..."

"I know. We won't. But, we do have other ways to punish him other than physically..."

"Like what?"

"Well, we're going to make sure he never teaches again. If the hearing committee doesn't see to that, we have other ways of making that happen..."

Bailey nodded. "I want to make sure that happens..."

"And you can sue him individually for sexual harassment..."

"Get a judgment so he owes us money for the rest of his life?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah. And, we can have him arrested for attempted blackmail and maybe attempted rape..."

"Rape?"

Cody nodded. "Maybe. We can talk to the local district attorney..."

Bailey paused. "I don't know if I want that to be public knowledge..."

"Then we won't do that. We'll only do what you are comfortable with."

Bailey smiled. "Thanks, Codykins..."

Cody paused. "And then, there is the action you can take against the university..."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. Bails, I bet you that once the hearing is over, we get a call from the university's general counsel wanting to meet with us..."

"Cody, I doubt that..." She paused and grinned. "So, I accept your bet!"

Cody grinned. "Name your terms, Pickett..."

"Spring Break next semester...Winner gets to decide where we go."

"Deal..."

Bailey paused. "Do you really think the university would offer us a settlement?"

"I'm sure they will..."

"But its not like we need the money..."

"I wouldn't go that far..."

Bailey was confused. "What do you mean? We have our Jeopardy winnings..."

"And its making us more money as we speak, but we may need it next year. We haven't heard back from our schools yet, so while our scores and transcripts are good, there is no guarantee we will get scholarships. Add that to the fact that at Penn or Tufts, we would be living in a major city. I would say a two bedroom apartment comparable to this one will be around $2,000 a month in Boston and probably similar in Philly..."

Bailey paused. "I hadn't thought of that..."

Cody smiled. "We got lucky that day we ran into Jo. I doubt anything like this place is going to fall into our laps again..."

"You're right..."

"You know, lets not worry about this right now. I'm just about done with my outline, how are you coming along?"

"Just about done too..."

"Let's finish them up, email them to Professor Wainwright and then go do something fun..."

Bailey smiled. "Sounds good to me..."

And that's what they did. They finished up their outlines and emailed them out by 5:00. After that, they just took it easy. Eventually, they got up and headed out of the house for the first time that day. They had called Max and Tapeworm, and the four of them went out for dinner and a movie. It was just the break Cody and Bailey needed. After a night of just having fun, they proceeded to have even more fun when they got home later.

On Saturday afternoon, Cody and Bailey were working on their Economics papers again when Cody's cell phone began to ring.

"Hello..."

"_What's up, Broseph?"_

"Hey, Zack...Just doing some work? You?"

"_Chilling out...Cassie and I wanted to call to see how things were going with that professor..."_

"Well, we were right about him. He tried to solicit Bailey about a week ago..."

"_Oh man...What are you going to do?"_

"We had an idea he was going to do so, so Bailey went in with a recorder in her pocket. We have everything on tape. A complaint was filed, and the hearing is supposed to be on Friday..."

"_What time?"_

"4:00 PM..."

"_We'll be there..."_

"Really?"

"_Of course. Somebody has to take care of my little brother and sister..."_

Cody smiled. "Thanks, Zack..."

"_We're done at noon on Friday. We'll be at your place by two..."_

"Tell Cassie that Bailey and I really appreciate it..."

Cody hung up his phone and smiled at Bailey. "The cavalry is coming down to support us..."

Bailey smiled. "Good. I want them to see you rip Professor Owen limb from limb..."

"Bails, I promise you I will do my best..."

"That's all I can ask, Cody...That's all I will ever ask of you..."

Cody smiled. "Hopefully by this time next week, this will all be over..."

_To be Continued..._


	41. Their Day in Court

_Chapter 41_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

By the next Friday, Cody and Bailey had prepared for how they were going to handle the hearing. They had a list of questions they wanted to make sure to ask and had all of their evidence organized. Both wanted to look professional for this hearing, so they were dressed in their interview suits.

"Cody, I told you that you look amazing in that suit..."

Cody smiled at her. "I know this isn't what you had in mind when you said we'd find other opportunities to wear this..."

"Its okay. We'll find other, more pleasant times for you to wear it again..."

About that time, they heard a knock at their front door. Cody went to answer it, and he found Zack, Cassie, Addison, Woody, Tapeworm, and Max all standing there.

"Whoa...What are all of you doing here?"

Zack grinned. "I rallied the troops...You didn't think there was a chance we wouldn't be here to support you both, did you?"

Bailey smiled. "Thanks guys...You have no idea what this means to us to have you all here..."

Cassie smiled. "We wouldn't be anywhere else...We're all here to be character witnesses if need be..."

"I don't know what to say..."

There was another knock at the door.

Cody frowned. "Now, who could that be?"

Zack laughed. "Character Witness number seven..."

Cody opened the door and London strolled into the apartment carrying Ivana.

"Okay...I'm here..."

Bailey smiled. "London!" She went over and hugged her.

"Yeah, yeah..." London looks around. "So, this is the dump you two live in?"

Bailey laughed. "Yes, London. This is our home..."

"My closet is bigger than this..."

"I know, but we love it here..."

Meanwhile, Zack pulled Cody aside.

"So, you're really handling this yourself?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah. That was Bailey's choice."

"You think you can do this?"

"Zack, I have to..."

Zack paused and looked at him. "Cody, I've watched enough _Law & Order_, the tape you have is nice, but I hope you have a little more than that..."

Cody grinned. "Don't worry, we have a lot more than that..."

"Yeah, like what?"

"You'll see..."

"Codester...How did you get this other stuff?"

"You don't want to know..."

Zack smirked. "Let me guess, the Skulls..."

"Maybe..."

"Are you going to get their help for what you do afterwards too?"

Cody sighed. "Bailey doesn't want to drop to Professor Owen's level..."

Zack looked at his brother. "But you wouldn't mind that, right?"

"Zack, I want to kill this SOB..."

"I hope so. If a professor did this to Cassie, I'm not sure I could be as calm and collected as you are right now..."

"Trust me, I've thought about revenge. But it isn't my call to make. This happened to Bailey and not me. I'm letting her make all the calls..."

Zack nodded. "I can see that...But, if you do decide to do something on your own, you let me know."

"I will..."

By this time, it was getting close to 3:00 PM. Bailey gathered everyone up.

"We need to head over now. Again, I want to thank you all for coming. Cody and I both appreciate it..."

Every gathered up and made their way over to the Biology building. They made their way to the top floor and to the hearing room. And to Cody and Bailey's surprise, almost all of their fellow Bonesmen were there to support them as well as Jessica. Cody and Bailey thanked them, and everyone took seats in the gallery as Cody and Bailey set up at one of the two tables.

Soon after, Professor Own arrived and took his place at the other table. He couldn't help but notice that Cody and Bailey had a lot of documents laid out on their table. He wondered to himself what all they had over there.

At 4:00, Professor Reed came out as well as five other professors who would serve as the jury. Professor Reed was going to serve as the presiding officer of the hearing. Once everyone was settled, he spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are here for the hearing on the complaint made by student, Bailey Pickett against Professor Roger Owen. Both sides will be given their chance to present their cases, and the group of five professors to my left will make the final determination. I warn you all, everything that happens in this hearing is completely confidential..."

Professor Reed noticed everyone sitting in the gallery. "This is a closed hearing. Who are all of these people in the back?"

Cody stood up. "Professor Reed, they are all witnesses who will testify to Miss Pickett's character..."

"Mr. Martin, why are you speaking?"

"Miss Pickett has asked me to serve as her counsel in this matter, sir."

"I can't allow that, Mr. Martin..."

Cody smiled. "Actually, under the Yale Charter, Chapter 6, Section 13, Clause 2, a student may choose her own representation in an action against a professor..."

Professor Reed sighed. "Very well...I'm thinking I need to review these sections..."

Professor Owen stood up. "If she has counsel, I would like one as well."

Cody spoke again. "Miss Pickett would object to that. Professor Owen has had the same time and opportunity as Miss Pickett to bring counsel with him. He has chosen not too. If this panel were to overlook his own laziness, this hearing would be pushed back further. That would create an undue hardship on this panel and Miss Pickett as we are in the middle of a semester and everyone has enough restraints on their time as it is..."

Professor Reed nodded. "I tend to agree, Mr. Martin. Your request is denied, Professor Owen. Now, back to all of these character witnesses..."

"Professor Reed, Chapter 6, Section 14, Clause 5 states a student may call witnesses in her support of her claim including witnesses as to her character. No limits are mentioned..."

Professor Reed sighed. "Very well...Miss Pickett, you are the complainant, call your first witness."

"We call Bailey Pickett."

"Miss Pickett, do you swear the testimony you are about to give is the truth to the best of your recollection..."

Bailey nodded. "I do."

Cody gathered up his questions. "Miss Pickett, before your first class with Professor Owen, had you ever met him before?"

"No, never."

"And what were your first impressions of him?"

"To be honest, I found him creepy. I mentioned the fact that I have a fiance, and he didn't seem happy at all. He kept looking at me in a way that made me uncomfortable. I just wanted to get through the class and ignore him as much as possible..."

"Tell us about your first exam in the class..."

"I studied very hard for it and knew my stuff backwards and forwards. Walking out of the test, I thought I had aced it. However, when I got it back, I got an 'F' on it..."

"Do you think that 'F' was deserved?"

"No, I don't. Especially when I compared it to another student's test who got an A on it. Our answers were almost identical..."

Professor Owen stood up. "Objection!"

Cody returned to the table and picked up both Bailey and Jessica's tests. "Professor Reed, I would like to submit as exhibits one and two the exams of Miss Picket and of a Miss Jessica Riley..."

Professor Reed nodded and accepted them. Cody turned back to Bailey.

"Now, Miss Pickett. Tell us what happened on the morning you met Professor Owen in his office."

Bailey nodded. "He asked me to come to his office to discuss my exam, and he said he was disappointed in my performance. I told him I planned on studying harder on the next two tests to bring it up. He then offered to personally tutor me, and I told him I would consider it. Finally, he offered me an 'A' in his class and I wouldn't have to come to class ever again..."

"How was that going to work?"

"He wanted me to be nice to him. I asked what he meant by that, and he said he wanted me to be his and only his. Again I asked what he meant by that, and he came out and said he would give me an A in exchange for sexual favors..."

"I know remembering this must be difficult. How did you react to that?"

"I stood up and yelled at him. I told him I had a fiance I loved very much and would never do anything to jeopardize that. I told him I would never sell my dignity and self respect for a grade. Then, I got angry, and pardon my language, told him to shove his offer up his ass..."

"What did you do then?"

"I immediately went to Professor Reed's office to file a complaint for sexual harassment which is why we are here today."

Cody smiled. "Thank you, Miss Pickett...I have no further questions."

Cody sat down and Professor Owen stood up. "Now, Bailey..."

Bailey interrupted him. "Only people I respect get to call me Bailey!"

Professor Owen paused. "Fine. Miss Pickett. You were not happy about your grade on my exam, correct?"

"That's correct. Because you improperly graded it. There is no way the grades on two identical tests can be an 'A' and a 'F'..."

"So you say, how do we know this is even Miss Riley's exam..."

Bailey smirked. "Well, Jessica is here to testify that it is her exam..."

Professor Owen turned around and sure enough there she was. Jessica even waved at him.

He paused. "Moving on. Isn't it true that you came to my office..."

Bailey interrupted. "No, you told me you wanted to see me in your office..."

Professor Owen was now shaken. "Whatever. Wasn't it you who first offered to give me sexual favors in exchange for an 'A'?"

Bailey laughed. "Of course not...I would never do that..." Bailey turned to the jury. "I have a fiance who I love more than life itself. I would never do anything to hurt him ever. Besides, he is an amazing lover, I would never want another..." At that comment, Cody blushed as Zack patted him on the back.

"Miss Pickett...You are a 4.0 student trying to get into vet school. Is it safe to say you would do anything to keep that intact?"

"No, its not. While those are dreams of mine, they wouldn't be worth it to me if I had to lose my dignity, my self respect, and my fiance to get them..."

Professor Owen sighed. "No further questions..."

"Miss Pickett, you are excused...Mr. Martin, your next witness."

As Bailey stepped down, Cody spoke. "I would like to call Jessica Riley..."

Jessica took the stand and was sworn in. Cody handed her exhibit two.

"Miss Riley. Is this your exam from Animal Behaviorism?"

She nodded. "Yes, it is..."

Cody smiled. "I have no further questions..."

Professor Reed looked to Professor Owen. "Your witness..."

"I have no questions..."

Jessica stepped down. Professor Reed turned back to Cody. "Your next witness?"

Cody stood up. "For now, the Complainant rests but reserves the right to call our witnesses for rebuttal purposes..."

Professor Reed turned to Professor Owen. "You're up."

_To be Continued..._


	42. The Verbal Beatdown

_Chapter 42_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Professor Owen stood up. "I call myself as a witness..." Professor Owen walked up to the stand and was sworn in. "Since, I have no counsel, I will just tell you what happened. From everything I had been told, I had heard Miss Pickett was one of the best students in the department. I was looking forward to having her in my class. I admit I was impressed and asked her to be my research assistant, but she turned me down. And when I saw her first test, I was shocked she had done so poorly. I asked her to my office to talk with her about it. Nothing could have been more shocking when she offered to trade me sexual favors for a grade. Naturally, I refused. I should have reported it, but I thought she was just freaking out over getting a 'F' and would regret her actions later. I was completely caught off guard when I was served with a complaint of sexual harassment. I would never do anything like that. I am completely innocent here!"

Professor Reed turned to Professor Owen. "Would you like to say anything else?"

"No. I spoke the truth. That's enough."

"Mr. Martin, your witness."

Cody stood up and walked over to Professor Owen. "First, I would like to talk to you about the exam..." He handed Professor Owen exhibits one and two. "These are the exams of Miss Pickett and Miss Riley, are they not?"

Professor Owen looked at them and nodded. "Yeah, I guess they are..."

"And you graded both of these, correct?"

"It may have been a TA..."

"Can you give us the name of this TA that you've never mentioned before..."

Professor Owen sighed. "I graded these..."

"I want you to look at these exams side by side and tell me what you see..."

Professor Owen looked at them. "Both are exams..."

"Compare the answers for me. Are they similar?"

He paused. "Some..."

Cody glared at him. "Just some? How about we go through them question by question and show the jury just how similar they are?"

"Fine! They are virtually identical..."

"So, if you graded them, and they are virtually identical, how do you justify giving one an 'A' and one a 'F'?"

Professor Owen just sat there staring at Cody not saying anything.

"You know, let's come back to that later. Your father is a very wealthy man, isn't he, Professor Owen?"

"I don't see what that has to do with anything..."

Professor Reed looked at Cody. "I tend to agree..."

"Professor Reed, I have a point I'm getting to if you will give me a little leeway..."

"Alright, but just a little. Answer the question, Professor Owen."

Professor Owen sighed. "Yes, he is..."

"Now, does the name Laura Summers ring a bell?"

"No..."

"Really?" Cody goes to get another document. "This is our exhibit three. Its a student roster showing that a Laura Summers was a student in one of Professor Owen's classes at Colorado..."

"She may have been. I've taught a lot of students..."

Cody grinned. "Do you forget the names of every student who files a complaint against you for sexual harassment?"

"I don't know what you are talking about..."

"Really?" Cody walks over and gets another document. "This is our exhibit four. Its a complaint filed by Laura Summers against Professor Owen for sexual harassment. Does this look familiar to you, Professor Owen?"

He glared at Cody again. "How did you get this? It was supposed to be sealed!"

Cody smiled back. "So, it is familiar to you..."

Professor Owen turns to Professor Reed. "I object to this being entered. It is part of a settlement agreement and thus not admissible under the rules of evidence..."

Cody grinned. "The rules of evidence don't apply to this administrative hearing..."

Professor Reed sighed. "Mr. Martin is correct...Answer the question, Professor Owen."

Professor Owen huffed. "Yes, its familiar..."

"And what did Miss Summer accuse you of exactly?"

He sighed. "She accused me of giving her a lower grade and offering her a better grade in exchange for sexual favors..."

Cody turned to face the jury. "That sure sounds familiar..." He turns back to Professor Owen. "So, what was the conclusion to that?"

"I maintained by innocence..."

"But your father wrote a big check to the girl and you agreed never to teach in the state of Colorado again if it would go away?"

"Well..."

"This is our exhibit five, a copy of said agreement..."

"Look, I tried to tell my father I was innocent, but he didn't believe me. He would rather write a check!"

"I bet he had to do that quite often...Now, lets talk about you meeting with Miss Pickett in your office. We've heard her version and we've heard you version of what happened. I bet you're hoping the jury will see it as a he said she said and hope your position of authority gives you more credibility..."

"No, I hope the jury believes me because its the truth!"

"Is it now?"

Cody walks over and picks up the digital recorder. "Professor Owen, if what you say is true, you wouldn't have a problem listening to a recording of your conversation with Miss Pickett, would you?"

"What?"

Cody grinned. "Miss Pickett had a digital recorder on her the whole time and recorded your whole conversation. We would like to enter this as our exhibit six. Now, knowing there is a tape of what really happened, do you want to stick by your story, Professor Owen?"

Professor Owen was steaming. "That bitch set me up!"

Cody pressed play and the entire conversation was played for everyone in attendance. Once it was done, Cody turned it off and turned back to Professor Owen. "Now, Professor Owen, you say Miss Pickett was the instigator of this. We all just heard what really happened. Would you like to revise your response?"

"I plead the fifth..."

"This isn't a court of law! The Fifth Amendment doesn't apply here!"

"Well, I'm not saying another word!"

Cody gave him an evil grin. "We don't need you to say anything else. I think its crystal clear to everyone here what the truth is. You were raised in a family where money was no object. You were constantly getting bought out of trouble until your father said enough and told you to get a real job. You chose to be a teacher so you would have summers off. And as long as you were in school, it got your father off your back, so you stayed to get your PhD. And once you were a professor, you realized you were surrounded by college girls who you had authority over. You came up with your little scheme in Colorado and it backfired on you. You had to move away and start over. You figured enough time had passed so you would try it again. You chose Miss Pickett because you thought she would be so determined to get an 'A' that you could manipulate her. But, again it backfired on you as you underestimated her! So, you got caught once again. And now, there is all the evidence in the world showing just what a slimeball you really are. Admit it! Admit you did this!"

Professor Owen glared at Cody while the people in the gallery applauded.

Professor Reed tried to regain control. "Enough! Mr. Martin, do you have any further questions?"

"No. I'm done."

Cody sat back down and was welcomed with a kiss from Bailey.

"Professor Owen, your next witness..."

"I have no further witnesses..."

Professor Reed turned to the jury. "I want you to take your time and evaluate everything you just heard and..."

One of the jurors stood up. "We already have our decision, Professor Reed..."

He sighed. "Of course you do..."

"We find Professor Owen guilty of sexual harassment and grade tampering. We recommend an immediate re-grading of Miss Pickett's exam. Further, we recommend Professor Owen's immediate dismissal as a professor at Yale University and recommend the university take action to strip him of his teaching credentials..."

"Very well. Miss Pickett, your exam will be regraded. And on behalf of this department and the university, we apologize to you for having to endure this. We assure you this isn't behavior that we tolerate or encourage at Yale University. Professor Owen, you are fired. You have an hour to clean out your office and then you will be escorted from campus. This hearing is over..."

Cody stood up. "But we aren't done yet..." He gets up and opens the door to the hearing room. First, a man in a suit comes in and walks over to Professor Owen.

"Roger Owen?"

Owen sighed. "Yes?"

"You are hereby served. You are being sued for sexual harassment..."

Right behind him was a police officer.

"Roger Owen?"

"Yes..."

"You are hereby under arrest for attempted blackmail..." The officer cuffed him and read him his rights and escorted him out of the room. Professor Reed walked over to them.

"Well, I guess Professor Owen just learned that you don't mess with the Skulls..."

Cody and Bailey looked at each other and back at Professor Reed. "We don't know what you are talking about..."

He nodded. "Uh huh. Anyways, Yale's general counsel would like to speak with the both of you on Monday morning. Shall I tell him 9:00 AM is okay?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah...fine."

Professor Reed walked on. Bailey turned and found Cody smiling at her.

"Okay...You won the bet..."

"I know. But that's not important right now. Do you feel like you got justice?"

Bailey smiled. "Yeah, I do. Cody, you were brilliant. The medical community better be happy because they have stolen away a potential great lawyer..."

Cody smiled. "Thanks, Sweetie...Now, how about we get out of here and go celebrate your victory?"

"Le'ts go!"

_To be Continued..._


	43. Settling Accounts

_Chapter 43_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Afterwards, everyone went out to dinner to celebrate. Cody and Bailey introduced their fellow Bonesman to everyone, but didn't call them that. To herself, Bailey felt a big weight taken off of her shoulders. For the most part, everything was over. Of course, she was really proud of Cody. He had done a wonderful job, and she had meant what she said when she said he would have been a great attorney. And she would show him later just how turned on she had been when Cody was ripping Professor Owen to shreds.

She wasn't the only one impressed though.

"Dude! Where did all of that come from?"

"I just wanted to make sure the slime ball went down, Zack..."

"Well, if I ever get in trouble, I'm calling you..."

Cody smirked at him. "You already were..."

"Well, yeah, to bail me out, but also as my attorney now..."

Cody just shook his head.

Soon, the celebration began to die down, and everyone had to get going. The Storrs Four had a philanthropic event the next morning, so they had to leave. Max and Tapeworm were heading out to see his parents the next morning, so they left early too. Several of the Bonesman again congratulated Cody and Bailey and told them to let them know if they wanted help in doing something further to Professor Owen.

Cody and Bailey finally returned home themselves. After such a long day, they just changed into their pajama pants and snuggled on the couch. After the past couple of weeks, doing nothing sounded real good to them right then.

"So, you ready to go back to being regular old college students again?"

Bailey smiled. "More than...You know, we've only got a week before Halloween. How are you coming along in getting a rough draft done?"

Cody nodded. "I think with a full day on Monday and maybe some on Sunday and Friday, I should be able to e-mail it to Bill for review...You?"

"The same. But don't forget, we have a meeting Monday morning..."

"That reminds me. Bails, are you sure that suing Professor Owen and having him arrested is enough revenge for you?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. What about you?"

"Its your decision, Baby. I will abide by what you choose to do..."

"I appreciate that..." Bailey paused and smiled. "You know, Codykins, have I told you yet just how hot you looked today in full lawyer mode?"

"Really?"

"Uh huh...I liked it a lot..."

Cody smiled. "I'm glad you did..."

Bailey grinned. "If I was your witness, would you badger me?"

"You know I would..."

"Then show me..."

"I think I need to sequester you and find out everything you know..."

Bailey leaned up and kissed Cody. "Then rest your case and take me to the bedroom for some deliberations..."

The next day was spent taking it easy, and doing some things around the house. The apartment wasn't really dirty, but it was time for their bimonthly cleaning. So, they did that, but it didn't take them long. So, with that done, they worked more on their Economics papers. The goal was to have them done before working on their Biology ones. That way, they could focus on writing them three days a week if they so chose.

Sunday went along similarly to Saturday. They were continuing to work on their papers when there was a knock at their front door. Cody got up to see who it was while Bailey went to the kitchen to refresh their lemonades. Upon opening the door, Cody encountered a man he had never seen before.

"Is Bailey Pickett here?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah...She's right inside..."

Cody let the man in about the time Bailey was coming out of the kitchen.

"Bails, Mr. Ummm...I didn't catch your name."

"I'm Wallace Stark...I'm the attorney for Mr. Owen..."

Bailey paused. "Oh...I don't think you are allowed to talk to us without our attorney..."

"Not the junior Mr. Owen, the senior Mr. Owen. He has a proposal for you, Miss Pickett...May we all sit down?"

Bailey nodded and she sat down next to Cody.

"My client is fed up with his son's behavior and is finally washing his hands of him..."

Cody was confused. "Then, why are you here?"

"My client is willing to bail his son out one final time before he is on his own. But he wants to teach him a final lesson. If Miss Pickett is willing to drop her civil suit and her criminal charges against the younger Mr. Owen, my client is prepared to make her a very generous offer..."

Cody turned to Bailey. "Your call, Sweetie..."

Bailey nodded. "What's the offer?"

Mr. Stark opened his briefcase and pulled a check out. "My client had this number in mind...Its all from the younger Owen's trust fund."

Bailey took the check and looked at it. Immediately, Bailey's eyes went wide.

"C...C...Cody! Look at this!"

Cody leaned over, looked and had a similar reaction.

Bailey turned to Mr. Stark. "May I talk to my fiance in private for a moment?"

Mr. Stark nodded and Cody and Bailey headed to the kitchen.

Bailey turned to Cody. "What do you think?"

"Bails, this is your call. If you are comfortable with settling everything for this, its up to you. It will be your money."

Bailey smiled. "Nope. It will be our money. What's mine is yours..."

Cody smiled back at her. "Still, your call..."

Bailey paused to think. "I think I have an idea. Lets see if it will fly..."

Bailey and Cody returned, and Bailey turned to Mr. Stark. "I'm willing to settle, but I do have a few other conditions..."

"Alright, lets hear them..."

"One, I want a penalty imposed if Professor Owen attempts to come within 50 miles of myself or Cody. Another penalty if he tries to teach or do anything like this again. Further, if he is ever convicted of another crime, he agrees to waive statute of limitations and still be eligible to be prosecuted for this..."

Mr. Stark paused. "And what are these penalties?"

"This amount double for each violation of those to be guaranteed by your client..."

The lawyer looked at Bailey incredulously. "Are you joking?"

Bailey smiled. "No, I'm not. You see, I'm pretty sure your client is doing this to keep from getting bad publicity for himself. I'm just seeing what that's worth to him..."

Mr. Stark paused and stared at her. "Very well...I'll have a settlement agreement drawn up and delivered to you this week. Once its signed, you'll get your compensation..."

Mr. Stark left and Cody turned to Bailey. He grinned at her. "Now, its my turn to say the vet community should be happy they stole you away from the legal profession..."

Bailey smiled at him. "Thank you, Codykins..."

"And its my turn to say how hot I got watching that..."

Bailey leaned in and kissed him. "You liked that, huh? Wait till you see what else I've got planned..."

Monday brought with it their meeting with the university general counsel. They walked into his office and were both directed to sit down while the general counsel finished up a phone call. The one thing they were about to learn is that he wasn't one to beat around the bush. Once he hung up his phone call, he turned to them.

"So, what will it take for this to go away?"

_To be Continued..._


	44. Let Them Eat Cake

_Chapter 44_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Bailey smiled. "Trust me, we have no plans to pursue a legal action against the university unless we have to. It will soon be our alma mater. However, we are willing to discuss what will make it go away. However, at this time, we are not prepared to talk numbers. As you can imagine, this is all still fresh in our minds. I'm sure the university would like us have time to calm ourselves so our initial offer doesn't seem so outrageous..."

The general counsel nodded. "Very well. Do you have a time table?"

"Right now, we are busy being students here. I promise you, once the semester is over, we will have all the time in the world to discuss this..."

"I guess I have no choice then. Let me check my calendar..." He flipped through his calendar. "Looks like I will be busy until after the first of the year. How about we meet again before the beginning of next semester..."

"Sounds good..."

Cody spoke up. "And we are aware we have a year to file a suit on this, so we won't let you string us along forever..."

The general counsel grinned at him. "That thought never crossed my mind..."

Cody and Bailey left the office and returned home. If they got productive that day, they could finish their economics papers. And productive they got. By 4:00, both finished the rough drafts of their papers with bibliographies. Before e-mailing them to Bill, they had the other read over their papers. Both gave the other glowing reviews, and both proceeded to e-mail Bill their rough drafts.

Tuesday, they both went to class as normal. The interim professor explained to the class that Professor Owen was gone, and that she would continue teaching the class the rest of the semester. Everyone was confused, but not terribly disappointed. Seems the new professor had a reputation for being one of the easiest professors in the department. Bailey had taken to sitting next to Jessica in class, and both just turned to the other and smiled.

After the class was over, the professor did ask to see Bailey, and she walked up to the podium.

"Miss Pickett, the Biology department still offers its deepest apologies. I wanted to let you know I have regraded your first exam. And certainly, you didn't deserve an 'F' on it. In fact, as far as I could see, you aced it. So, here is the 'A' you should have gotten all long. I look forward to seeing how you do on the second exam next week..."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you...I will do my best."

"I know you will..."

Bailey left to meet up with Cody before heading to Computers and the Law. When she found him, she excitedly showed him her revised test paper.

Cody smiled. "About time you got the grade you earned..."

"I know...I actually don't dread going to the class now..."

"Good. Just remember, its your turn to make sure you keep me awake today..."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Like you've ever fallen asleep in class before..."

Cody grinned. "Not true! I did once. Back when Tut was giving her lecture about fairy tales, I was out like a light..."

"Oh yeah...I remember that now..." Bailey giggled. "Everyone fell asleep..."

"Yeah, I had the weirdest dream during that class though..."

"What was it?"

"Zack and I were Hansel and Gretel...but I called myself Greg..."

Bailey laughed. "Was I in it?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah, you were. The witch had baked you into a pie, so you were a pie with your head..."

Bailey just looked at him. "Oh really..."

Cody smiled. "I still called you a cutie pie though..."

Bailey giggled. "That's better...I think..."

"Don't worry, usually, you always play a much larger role in my dreams..."

Bailey grinned. "Yeah, like what?"

"Well..." Cody leaned in and whispered in Bailey's ear.

Bailey blushed. "Cody!"

Cody grinned and shrugged. "You asked..."

Bailey shook her head. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Come with me to our next class...We're running late for Celebrity Sex Tape 101!"

After class, they both went home and changed for work. The rest of the week was them doing their usual except for all of their efforts were now focused on writing their Biology papers. Next week was exams and they would begin studying for those on Sunday. But, there was something else they had to do first.

Saturday was the day to celebrate Halloween. And with a name like Skull and Bones, the group loved Halloween. And the big tradition was the big Halloween Ball. And with that going on, they had to turn down the invitation to the Halloween party in Storrs. Cody and Bailey did invite Max and Tapeworm. The theme was elegant yet gory. Immediately, Cody and Bailey had an idea.

Saturday night, Cody and Bailey picked up Tapeworm and Max who were dressed as Gomez and Morticia Addams. Cody and Bailey loved their costumes.

"Great costumes, guys..."

Max chuckled. "Yours too..."

Tapeworm nodded. "Let me guess...King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette?"

Bailey smiled. "Of course..." She pointed to her neck which like Cody's had stage makeup and fake stitches. "You like how they sewed our heads back on?"

They all headed to the party and had a great time. During the course of the evening, there was dancing and several other Halloween themed events. Towards the end of the evening, Tapeworm pulled Cody aside.

"Cody, can I ask you a question and get an honest answer?"

"Of course..."

"You and Bailey are Skulls, aren't you?"

Cody smiled. "Now that, I can't answer..."

Tapeworm smiled back. "Enough said..."

Cody grinned. "But, you and Max are juniors this year. Keep your nose clean and they may consider you both..."

"You think so?"

Cody paused. "Personally, I would think so. But what I think carries no weight..."

"Gotcha..."

The party was fun, but eventually, it had to come to an end. Cody and Bailey took Max and Tapeworm home before returning home themselves. And once they got home, they cleaned up and crashed after a long night.

Sunday was the beginning of studying time. They had Animal Behaviorism and Human Anatomy on Tuesday and Computers and the Law on Thursday. So, they started off with their most difficult and eminent test first. By Monday night, both felt they were prepared. And both felt they did very well on the exams. After work on Tuesday, the began studying for Computers and the Law. Both had to laugh when the subject matter for this exam would be covering internet crimes and internet privacy with things such as pirated sex tapes.

Both felt the exam was ridiculously easy. Both would have been ashamed of themselves if they hadn't aced it. Both went to work afterwords and came home and did nothing. Friday was spent working on their Biology papers.

Bailey looked up. "How is yours going?"

Cody looked up at her. "I think I have about a quarter of part one done. I may be able to get all of part one done before Thanksgiving..."

"Same here. And before school starts next semester, I'll organize everything I have for part two so I'll be ready to begin working on it right off the bat..."

Cody nodded. "Good plan...Bails, is it wrong that I've really enjoyed having the three days this semester of not having to go to class?"

Bailey smiled. "If it is, then I'm wrong too...Hopefully, we can work out something similar next semester..."

"I agree. How about we take a break for lunch?"

"Sounds good...Let me take Porkers out and you see if the mail has come yet..."

Cody smiled. "Meet you out back..."

Bailey got up to take Porkers outside. While he was running around, Cody came running around the back of the duplex.

Bailey laughed. "What is it this time?"

Cody gestured to the large pile of manila envelopes in his hands. "We've finally heard back from Cornell, Penn and Tufts!"

_To be Continued..._


	45. Feeling the Love

_Chapter 45_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Bailey just looked at Cody and then the pile of manila envelopes in his hand. And the envelopes were thick. To Bailey, that had to be a very good sign. If a school was going to tell you 'thanks, but no thanks', they would do it in a much smaller, thinner envelope. Bailey looked back up at Cody and smiled.

"Well, lets open them up and see what they have to say!"

Cody smiled and nodded. "After you, my dear..."

Bailey gathered Porkers back up and lead him inside. Cody was right behind her, and they made their way over to the couch. Cody then separated the envelopes into a pile for Bailey and a pile for himself.

"Who do we start with first?"

Bailey paused. "Alphabetical order worked well for us the last time..."

Cody nodded and they both pulled up the packet from Cornell. At the same time, the both opened their envelopes and pulled out the contents. On top of each was a letter. Both picked up the letters, and Bailey began to read hers.

_Dear Miss Pickett,_

_Congratulations! Your request for admission to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine has been accepted. We would like to formally welcome you to the Cornell University family. In addition, your GRE score, transcript and resume are such that the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine is pleased to announce that you are the recipient of one of our full scholarships which includes a living stipend. Enclosed in this packet, you will find the information to complete your acceptance as well as forms for your financial aid packet. We look forward to hearing from you soon and having you on campus next semester!_

_Sincerely, _

_Judith A. Appleton, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs_

Cody began to read his.

_Dear Mr. Martin, _

_Congratulations! Your request for admission to the Cornell University Weill Cornell Medical College has been accepted. We would like to formally welcome you to the Cornell University family. In addition, your MCAT score, transcript and resume are such that the Cornell University Weill Cornell Medical College is pleased to announce that you are the recipient of one of our full scholarships which includes a living stipend. Enclosed in this packet, you will find the information to complete your acceptance as well as forms for your financial aid packet. We look forward to hearing from you soon and having you on campus next semester!_

_Sincerely, _

_Carol Storey-Johnson, Senior Associate Dean for Education_

Cody and Bailey both looked at each other and smiled.

"You got in!"

Bailey nodded. "So did you!"

"With a full scholarship and living stipend..."

"Same here!"

Cody pulled Bailey into a hug and they just held each other for the longest time.

"Bails...We did it!"

"I know! No matter what those other envelopes say, we have a college we both got into for grad school with full rides..."

Cody pulled back and grinned. "Since they don't mean as much anymore, we don't have to worry about what they say..."

"But you want to know as bad as I do what they do say..."

Cody nodded and laughed. "You bet I do!"

Both reached for their envelopes from Penn. Both opened them and pulled out the packet of information and reached for the letters on top. Bailey began to read her letter.

_Dear Miss Pickett,_

_Thank you for your application to the School of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. Every year, we get more applications from qualified applicants that we have room for. But, you Miss Pickett are someone we definitely want here at Penn. So, congratulations! You have been accepted to the School of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. You are the type of candidate that Penn strives for and can't wait to get you on campus. So much so, that we are offering you a full academic scholarship with living stipend. We look forward to hearing from you so we can officially welcome you to Penn Vet._

_Sincerely, _

_Malcolm J. Keiter, Associate Dean for Admissions_

Cody began to read his letter.

_Dear Mr. Martin,_

_Thank you for your application to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Every year, we get more applications from qualified applicants that we have room for. But, you Mr. Martin are someone we definitely want here at Penn. So, congratulations! You have been accepted to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. You are the type of candidate that Penn strives for and can't wait to get you on campus. So much so, that we are offering you a full academic scholarship with living stipend. We look forward to hearing from you so we can officially welcome you to Penn Medicine._

_Sincerely, _

_Gail Morrison, M.D., Vice Dean of Education_

Cody and Bailey look at each other again and smile again.

"You did it again, didn't you?"

Bailey grinned. "I did...Admission and full scholarship with stipend...You?"

Cody grinned. "The same...You know what this means?"

Bailey laughed. "Yeah...We have a decision to make..."

"Shall we see if our decision is between two or three schools?"

"Yeah, we should..."

Both reached for their envelopes from Tufts. Both opened them and pulled out the packet of information and reached for the letters on top. Bailey began to read her letter.

_Dear Miss Pickett,_

_Thank you for applying to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine within Tufts University. It was our pleasure to get to meet you during your interview on campus, and we really enjoyed getting to know you better. So much so, we would like to congratulate you on being accepted to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. You are exactly the type of student we strive to attract to Tufts University. In fact, we would like to offer you a full academic scholarship and living stipend to show you how serious we are about having you here. We can't wait to hear from you and to welcome you to the Tufts family._

_Sincerely,_

_Deborah Kochevar, DVM, PhD, Dean, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine_

Cody began to read his.

_Dear Mr. Martin,_

_Thank you for applying to the Tufts University School of Medicine. It was our pleasure to get to meet you during your interview on campus, and we really enjoyed getting to know you better. So much so, we would like to congratulate you on being accepted to the Tuft University School of Medicine. You are exactly the type of student we strive to attract to Tufts University. In fact, we would like to offer you a full academic scholarship and living stipend to show you how serious we are about having you here. We can't wait to hear from you and to welcome you to the Tufts family._

_Sincerely,_

_David Neumeyer, M.D., Dean for Admissions_

Cody and Bailey looked at each other yet again and smiled yet again.

"Three for three?"

Bailey grinned. "Yeah...You?"

Cody grinned. "I'm batting a thousand too!"

They pulled each other into another hug.

"Bails...All of our hard work paid off..."

"I know...I'm just so happy right now..."

"Me too...and I'm glad I have you to share it with..."

"I feel the same way, Codykins..."

Cody finally pulled back. "Now is the other hard part...Deciding which one we want to go to..."

Bailey nodded. "Yeah...That isn't going to be easy..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: I have completed writing Part Deux. It will be 75 chapters as well. After which, I plan on writing the bachelor/bachelorette parties and then the wedding. After that, I'm not sure. I know absolutely nothing about med or vet school to do either one of them justice. And just between Cailey on Deck, Senior Year, and both parts of the College Years, I've written 300 Chapters. I'm running out of ideas lol. This will be evident when you get to the Christmas chapter. So, for now, I will keep posting the chapters, but will focus on my two collaborations. Man of Faith and I are having way too much fun writing Kettlecorn. We've broken the 4th wall numerous times and are still debating whether to use a Zack Morris timeout. As for a Rose By Any Other Name, I remind people to remember the description of the story and what other story it is based on.**_  
_


	46. Making a Decision

_Chapter 46_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

"Cody...How do we decide which one? If it had only been one of them, our decision would be easy. But we have three schools that want us and are all three good schools..."

Cody nodded. "I know. Right now, why don't we take a break from thinking about it. Tonight, we go out and celebrate. But for now, why don't you send an e-mail to our families and friends letting them know the good news while I go fix us lunch. Tell them we just found out and haven't made any decisions yet, but they will be the first to know once we do..."

Bailey nodded back. "Good idea..."

Cody grinned. "Yellow or spicy mustard?"

Bailey just shook her head and laughed. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Just teasing you, Sweetheart..."

"I know...And for the record, spicy..."

Cody grinned again. "As you wish..."

Bailey sent out an e-mail to their families and friends sharing with them the good news and promising to let them know once they made a decision. While she did that, Cody made them a quick lunch. As they sat there eating, they began to talk.

"You know, Bails...I don't think we should make a decision today. I say we give ourselves time to digest it all and make the right decision for us..."

Bailey nodded as she took a bite of her sandwich. "I agree..."

"Its the beginning of November now. Why don't we make a list of pros and cons for each one, and then come back to them before we head back for Thanksgiving to see if we feel the same way?"

"Good plan, Codykins..."

After they finished eating, they pulled out one of their laptops and made a spreadsheet. There were six columns, a pro and con column for each of Colgate, Penn and Tufts. They spent a good part of the afternoon adding various items under each column. Once they had exhausted everything they could think of, they saved the spreadsheet and closed it.

"So, what should we do now?"

Bailey paused. "You know, we've been working hard lately, I saw we do something that requires absolutely no thought whatsoever..."

"What do you have in mind?"

Bailey paused to think again. "You feel like being a little silly tonight?"

Cody grinned. "Always..."

Bailey grinned back. "How about we go to the indoor fun center. There's indoor putt-putt, bowling, laser tag..."

"Bails, you are on!"

So, for the next several hours, they just had mind numbing fun. Cody won the round of putt-putt while Bailey won the game of bowling. And both were hard fought victories. No matter how much older they were now, they still loved competing with each other. But being more mature now, they knew to leave the competition on the field of battle. And there was no better way of proving that then when they teamed up to take on others in a game of laser tag.

After a little fun, they went out and had dinner afterwards. Again, they chose the same restaurant they had celebrated at when they had gotten their test results back. For the first time in a long time, they didn't have something pressing on them or that they were waiting on. Their wedding plans were done from their end. Their invitations had gone out and everything else had been chosen. All they had left to do was show up for fittings after the first of the year. They were no longer waiting to hear back from schools, and all they had to do was choose the one they wanted. The rough drafts of their Economics papers had been submitted to Bill, and they were on pace to have the first half of their Biology papers done before Thanksgiving. To Cody and Bailey, after a rough start to the semester, things were definitely looking up.

The next couple of weeks before Thanksgiving were pretty laid back ones. They spent Tuesdays and Thursdays in class and working. Mondays and Wednesdays were spent continuing to work on their Biology papers. Fridays, they decided to work on the papers in the mornings and take the afternoons to have some fun. Of course, even though they both only had two actual classes to attend, they still did their reading and their homework.

Finally, the week before Thanksgiving arrived, and Monday morning brought with it a meeting with Bill. They showed up at his office at 11:00 and were motioned in.

Bill grinned. "Well, it appears you two certainly have had a busy semester..."

Bailey laughed. "Tell us about it..."

"I have to admit. I had to laugh when I heard how you two destroyed Professor Owen. I told you two people would regret if they messed with you..."

Cody nodded. "I think he is regretting it right now..."

"Anyways, I see you two have also been busy with your papers. They were both very impressive..."

Bailey smiled. "Really?"

"Extremely. As they are, I'm ready to give you both A's right now..."

Cody smiled. "Excellent..."

"And I already forwarded them to the other professor who is supposed to read them, and she concurs with me..."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you..."

"In fact, they are so good, we both feel you should submit them next semester so you both will be eligible for departmental distinction..."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, at graduation, you will be able to graduate with Honors and be eligible for one of several departmental awards..."

Cody nodded. "We'll do that then..."

"Good. Well, you have both finished your Economics senior project. Only one more class to go and you will be done with our department..."

Bailey smiled. "You just make sure you are teaching a class over the 400 level next semester..."

Bill laughed. "I'll see what I can do..."

Cody smiled too. "And we want to thank you again for your letters of recommendation...they helped."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, we've both been offered full rides to Cornell, Penn and Tufts for grad school..."

Bill smiled. "Congratulations! You know, Yale is going to rue the day it doesn't have a veterinary school and let you two get away..."

"Thanks..."

"Well, I guess I will see you both in a few weeks for our final advisement conference..."

Bailey smiled again. "We'll be here..."

Cody and Bailey went back home with smiles on their faces. That was one class already done for the semester. Of course, they had more work to do. If they continued their diligence, they would have their Biology rough drafts done and ready to be turned in to Professor Wainwright on Wednesday afternoon. So, that's what they did. They worked hard and finished them up and handed them to him. Professor Wainwright said he would let them know what he thought before finals.

Finally, the last week before Thanksgiving was done, and Cody and Bailey weren't due to meet Zack and Cassie until Sunday morning. So, on Saturday, they decided to revisit their grad school choices.

"You know, Codykins, I don't think we can go wrong with any of our three choices..."

"I agree, Bails..."

Bailey laughed. "So, how do we decide then?"

Cody laughed too. "Draw a name out of a hat?"

"Flip coins?"

"Rock, paper, scissors?"

Both laughed again.

Cody paused. "Let's try this...Close your eyes, Bails..."

Bailey complied. "Okay..."

"Picture yourself sitting in class..."

"Alright..."

"Now walk out of the class and to the front of the building..."

"Okay..."

"Turn around..."

"Okay..."

"What is the name on the front door?"

Bailey opened her eyes. "Oh my gosh!"

Cody smiled. "What was the name on the door?"

Bailey grinned and told him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah...I am. What do you think of that?"

"Bails, I told you I'd follow you anywhere. That sounds perfect to me..."

_To be Continued..._


	47. The Cat is Out of the Bag

_Chapter 47_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Bailey just looked at Cody. "Codykins, are you sure?"

"Of course, I am. Wherever you go, I go..."

Bailey smiled. "So, should we send another email out?"

Cody shook his head. "Nah, we're heading home for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Well tell everyone on Thursday after we eat..."

Bailey nodded. "Good idea..." She paused. "Maybe after the first of the year, we need to go on another road trip to start looking for a place to live?"

"Yeah, we should. The sooner we find a place, that's one less thing we'll have to worry about..." Cody smiled. "We'll, just have make sure any place we choose is pig friendly..."

Porkers oinked.

Bailey smiled. "Porkers and I thank you for remembering that..."

"Anytime...You know what else will happen in Boston while we're there?"

"What's that?"

"The annual Harvard-Yale game will be in Cambridge again. It will be our last chance to see Yale play again as students..."

Bailey laughed. "Were they playing two years ago? Because it looked like to me like they weren't doing much..."

Cody grinned. "I know, but they are actually having a decent year this year..."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, if they beat Harvard, they'll actually win the Ivy League and make it to the FCS playoffs..."

Bailey grinned. "Alright...We'll give them one more shot. Maybe we should get six tickets for us, Zack and Cassie and the twins if they are there?"

Cody nodded. "Sounds good..."

After a quick stop by the Yale ticket office, they returned home and began packing up to head back to Boston. Once that was done, they just took it easy and enjoyed a carefree evening at home with Porkers. The next morning, they were on the road north and made it to the usual meeting place of the rest area to meet Zack and Cassie. Once there, they once again split up into guys and girls. As Bailey was driving, she and Cassie talked.

"So, you two made a decision yet?"

Bailey smiled and nodded. "We have..."

"Well, what is it?"

"You'll find out when we tell everyone else..."

Cassie pouted. "I'm your maid of honor and you won't tell me early?"

Bailey shook her head and laughed. "Nope..."

"I bet Cody has already told Zack..."

"I doubt that. We promised each other we wouldn't say anything to anyone until Thanksgiving Day..."

Cassie sighed. "Fine...So what's new with that whole fiasco with the professor?"

Bailey grinned. "His father offered me a settlement to drop the suit and charges..."

Cassie turned to her. "Oh yeah? How much?"

Bailey told her. Cassie's eyes went wide open. "Are you serious?"

"Uh huh...And Yale has offered to settle with me too..."

"What does Cody say about all of this?"

"He says its completely my call, and he will support me in whatever I decide..."

Cassie paused. "So after that and Jeopardy, just how much will you two have saved away in the bank?"

Bailey smiled. "Let's put it this way. With our summer jobs from Boston, our current jobs and our current living stipends, we haven't even touched our Albright Award funds let alone our Jeopardy winnings..."

Cassie just shook her head. "What are you two going to do with all of that?"

"Its our nest egg going into marriage. Eventually, we will use a large part of it for a down payment on our first house..."

"What about an apartment for next year? What neighborhoods are you looking at?"

Bailey grinned. "Nice try..."

In the other SUV, Zack and Cody are talking as well.

"So, you two made a decision yet?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah, we'll announce it at Thanksgiving dinner..."

Zack nodded too. "Cool..." He grinned. "Anyways, go ahead and mark your calendar June 4-8..."

"Huh?"

"Your bachelor party...Everything is planned."

"Well, let's hear it..."

"Well, you, me, Woody and Tapeworm will fly out of Hartford on Wednesday evening and arrive out in Vegas later that night. Everyone else will be arriving that night too..."

Cody nodded. "And we are going to Mandalay Bay?"

Zack laughed. "Not exactly..."

"Zack..."

"Look, it was weird. I signed up for some sites looking for bachelor party deals. I got a notice that I had been selected to win an all inclusive bachelor party in Vegas. Everything has been taken care of, Bro..."

Cody sighed. "Well, I guess that will be alright...So, where are we staying?"

"If I tell you, will you tell Bailey?"

Cody turned to his brother. "Of course..."

Zack grinned. "That's why it will be a surprise for you then...Look, Cassie already knows, and she's letting me go..."

Cody sighed again. "Alright...But remember, Bailey still hasn't given her list of rules yet. I will not break any of her rules..."

"I know...But its us and our friends, what could happen?"

Cody just looked at his brother.

"Fine...But nothing will happen...much..."

Finally, everyone arrived in Boston. Unlike last year, Cody and Bailey didn't have the handicap pass anymore, so everyone actually had to carry (or roll) their bags. After checking in at the lobby and getting their keys, they headed up to their suite to drop off their bags and leash up Porkers. Once they were settled in, they headed to the 23rd floor.

Once inside, everyone hugged them and welcomed them. The whole crew was there, Carey, Arwin, Ellie, Mitch, Amy, Michelle, Katie and Zoey. Everyone welcomed them back home and immediately began peppering them with questions. Katie and Zoey were happy to hear they were going to get to see a college football game the next Saturday. Zack was quick to point out that it wouldn't be good football though. And of course, everyone wanted to know if Cody and Bailey had made a choice yet. They both just smiled and said they would be pulling a Lebron James and making their formal announcement right after Thanksgiving dinner.

The first couple of days back were spent taking it easy and lounging around the hotel. On Monday, Cody and Bailey did have an errand to run and spent the morning out. When they came back, they found their suite empty and a note from Zack, Cassie and the twins telling them they were going to a movie and saying they could join them if they got back in time. Cody checked his watch and noticed they still had three hours before the movie. He was about to call Zack and tell them to get them tickets too when there was a knock at their door.

Bailey went over and answered in and found Ellie and Mitch standing there.

"Come on in..."

They did and closed the door behind them.

Ellie smiled at them. "We understand we both owe you a great deal of gratitude..."

Cody was confused. "For what, Grandma?"

"I think you both know..."

Cody turned to Bailey and she was just as confused as he was.

"No idea what you are talking about..."

Ellie grinned. "Let's just say Mitch and I got a visit from a Ben Wellington a couple of weeks ago..."

_To be Continued..._


	48. The Decision

_Chapter 48_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody and Bailey just look at each other not sure what to say. Finally, Cody turns back to Ellie.

"Grandma...I...ummmm...you see...I..."

Bailey began to speak as well. "We wanted to tell you both..."

Ellie smiled. "Its okay. I understand you two were told not to say anything..." She paused. "Though, there are some parts of the whole story that Tommy told us he couldn't explain..."

Mitch nodded. "Yeah, we were hoping you two could fill in the pieces there..."

Cody smiled. "Trust me, we wish we could, but we can't...We're bound to secrecy..."

Ellie nodded. "That's the same thing Tommy said..."

Bailey laughed. "Trust us, its all pretty crazy...So, he did make himself known to you both?"

"Yeah...As you can imagine, I was completely shocked..."

Mitch nodded. "Yeah, for a minute, we thought she was having another heart attack..."

Ellie rolled her eyes at him. "Coming back from the dead is no big thing to him, but to me, it still doesn't get any easier the second time..."

Cody and Bailey laughed. "Well, we're glad he did...What else did he say? Was it a hush hush meeting or is he making it known?"

Mitch paused. "Well, sort of both. Something about the last thing he worked on for the army becoming obsolete by modern technology letting him return to his old life..."

Bailey smiled. "That's wonderful..."

Ellie nodded. "Yeah, supposedly I have another nephew, a great nephew and great niece..."

Cody nodded. "You do...His son Mitchell, grandson Ty and granddaughter, Ella..."

Ellie laughed. "I should have known you have already met them..."

"Well, Ty mostly...We met Mitchell and we're supposed to be keeping an eye on Ella. Though, something tells me that will become a bigger task next semester..."

"Why's that?"

Cody grinned. "We can't say..."

Ellie shook her head and turned to Bailey. "He's not this mysterious and secretive with you is he?"

Bailey laughed. "Not at all...I'm privy to everything he is. Cody and I don't keep secrets from each other unless we are planning surprises for the other..."

Cody nodded. "That's true. So, did Uncle Tommy give some kind of timetable as to when he's...coming out?"

Mitch shook his head. "Not really...He just said it would be soon..."

"Well, we've already invited Ty and his girlfriend, Beth to our wedding. We'd love to invite the rest of them too if everything is out in the open. We may be busy elsewhere afterwards, but you all could take time to get to know each other..."

Ellie nodded. "Maybe...So, have you not told anyone else?"

Cody shook his head. "No...I haven't even told Zack he has more cousins..."

"Well, as soon as Tommy gives us the word, we'll let you know..."

Mitch laughed. "Yeah right...They'll probably know before we do..."

The four of them decided to keep their conversation a secret until they received further word from Tommy. Cody checked his watch, and he and Bailey still had about an hour and a half to catch the movie. They moved quickly and headed out. They arrived at the theater an hour before the movie, and hung out and played several competitive games of air hockey. Finally, Zack, Cassie and the twins showed up and everyone headed into the movie. Afterwards, Zoey went out with Zack and Cassie back to the Tipton game room while Katie decided to hang out with Cody and Bailey while they got something to eat. Bailey took the opportunity to catch up with what was new on the S.S. Tipton.

"So, Katie...what's new on board?"

Katie smiled. "Oh you two know how life at school on a cruise ship is..."

Cody grinned at her. "I know...That's why we're asking what's new..."

Bailey grinned too. "You know...How things are going with a certain young man..."

Katie blushed. "Oh..."

Bailey laughed. "I see you still blush when someone talks about him..."

Cody shook his head. "Please say things aren't still as they were a year ago...Even I didn't move that slowly..."

Katie smiled. "They're not...Billy is...ummm...my boyfriend now..."

Bailey smiled. "Well, congratulations...And just how long have you two been dating?"

"It will be a year New Year's Eve..."

Cody grinned. "Well, let's just hope you aren't in Tokyo then..."

Katie looked confused. "Huh?"

Bailey shook her head. "Ignore him. How are things going?"

"They're going great...Though, Zoey and Chas like to make fun of us for being sweet with each other..."

Cody looked at Bailey and smiled. "I got this one..." He turned to Katie. "Don't let them bother you. Sooner or later, they're bound to be acting the same way, and that's when you get to have your fun..."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah...When Zack started acting all lovey dovey with Cassie, I enjoyed reminding him of all the things he used to say about Bailey and me. I really let him have it..."

Bailey nodded. "That's true. And besides, I'll give you the same advice that Cody and I lived by. Make your relationship what you and Billy want it to be. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks or says, only what you two think. Its the same principle that Cody and I still live by. And the corollary to that is don't think you have to do things because people think they are expected of you..."

Katie nodded. "Good idea...That makes a lot of sense..."

Cody grinned. "You know, your invitation to our wedding does say you can bring a guest..."

Katie smiled. "Does that mean I can ask him to come with me?"

Bailey smiled. "Absolutely..."

The next couple of days before Thanksgiving were spent just hanging around the hotel. Finally, Thanksgiving day came, and Cody and Bailey offered to help cook, but Carey, Ellie, Amy, and Michelle said they had thinks taken care of. So, Cody and Bailey joined Mitch, Zack, Cassie and the twins watching football.

"What's the score of the game?"

Zack just glared at his brother. "Detroit is up 42-7...How in the world did you know Stafford would have such a huge breakout year?"

Cody smiled. "Bailey and I did research and we saw his numbers had improved and was due for a good year..."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Yeah...you must have did that for the rest of your team too. Every single breakout player this year, you drafted..."

Bailey turned to Cody. "Does that mean we're doing good?"

Cody nodded. "It sure does...The Cailey Coyotes are doing great this year...And I even have a picture of Wile E. Coyote as our logo."

Bailey smiled. "Sounds good to me..."

About that time, the four ladies came and said dinner was ready. Everyone gathered around the large table in the suite. The table was filled with good looking food that looked delicious. As they sat around the table, Arwin lead them in an interesting opening giving of thanks. Everyone dug in and ate till their heart's content. After firsts and seconds and thirds, everyone was stuffed. As everyone sat there digesting, Cody began to clink his glass with his fork.

"If we could have everyone's attention please, Bailey and I have an announcement we would like to make..."

Bailey nodded. "As you know, we've both been accepted on full rides to grad school at Cornell, Penn and Tufts, and we wanted to let everyone know that we've finally made our decision..."

Everyone sat up in their chairs and looked at them expectantly.

Cody smiled. "Bailey and I would like to officially announce that we are going to take our talents..."

Everyone looked and waited for them to finish.

"Back to Boston...We've decided to attend Tufts..."

_To be Continued..._


	49. Coming Back Home

_Chapter 49_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Everyone immediately began to congratulate them on their decision. No one around the table was happier to hear that news than Carey. Immediately, she got up and went around and hugged them both. She was so happy that one of her babies was coming back home. All she needed now was to get Zack back in Boston too. However, her thoughts were interrupted.

"Mom! Need...air..."

Carey realized she was crushing Cody and Bailey and let up on them. However, she didn't remover her arms from around their shoulders. Ellie could only take in the sight and laugh. Finally, she spoke.

"So, when did you two decide on this?"

Bailey smiled. "On Saturday...We had made a pros and cons list after we had been accepted all three places, but it wasn't until a few days ago that we made our decision..."

"What lead you two to decide on Tufts?"

Cody smiled this time. "I had Bailey close her eyes and picture she was sitting in class. I had her visualize getting up out of her seat, walking outside the building, and then I asked her what the name on the building was..."

Bailey nodded. "And I saw Tufts..."

Cassie smiled at her cousin. "Congratulations then. I have to admit, I was kind of hoping you two would choose Tufts..."

"Yeah?"

Cassie nodded. "Yeah, this way, we're still on about an hour and half apart. If you moved to Ithaca or Philadelphia, we would hardly ever see you two..."

Bailey smiled. "That was on our cons list for both Cornell and Penn..."

Zack grinned. "So, Codester...Moving back into the Tipton?"

Carey lit up at that idea. "That's a great idea!"

But Cody just shook his head. "No, we're not...Sorry, Mom..."

Carey frowned. "Why not? It would be perfect..."

"Not really...Tufts is on the other side of town. We'd have to fight traffic or hope the subway was on time every day just to get to class. Plus, if Bailey had a late class, I wouldn't like the thought of her taking the subway home all by herself..."

Bailey leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Codykins..." She turned to everyone else. "Plus, the Tipton is already furnished and we have an apartment full of furniture we would have to figure out something to do with..."

Cody nodded. "Plus, we didn't think Esteban or Mr. Tipton would appreciate the smell of formaldehyde that's going to follow us around for at least a year..."

Carey sighed. "I can understand that. I guess I should just be grateful that you both will be back in Boston now..."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Mom..."

"Oh please. If I could get you and Cassie back here too, I'd be just as happy. Of course, if I get you two back, I'll have both my babies back home..."

"Mom...I'm 20 years old..."

Cody just shook his head at his brother. "Don't...It doesn't make a difference, trust me..."

Cassie decided to try to change the subject. "So, I guess you two will be looking for an apartment here in Boston soon..."

Bailey nodded. "Yeah. On Monday, we met with someone who will help us find the right apartment for us. She got a list of everything we are looking for and will look for apartments near campus. We're supposed to meet her again when we are back over Christmas..."

Cody nodded too. "Yeah, we'd love to have everyone's help so they can tell us what they think..."

Carey nodded. "Consider it done...Now, we have some pies, we should celebrate this big news..."

Bailey smiled. "Sounds good, but give us a little bit. We have to go set up our web camera to share the news with everyone in Kettlecorn too..."

"Fortunately, Dad and Sarah are there too, so we get to tell everyone else at once..."

And that's exactly what Cody and Bailey did. They set up the web camera, and soon, an image of everyone sitting around the table in Kettlecorn appeared. Like they had just a little bit ago, they announced to everyone what their grad school plans were. And like before, they had to answer a long list of questions from everyone. Everyone still had more questions, but Cody and Bailey promised to answer everything when they were back in Kettlecorn in a few weeks. That seemed to placate everyone, and they finally said goodbye.

One they had turned off the web camera, Cody turned to Bailey.

"Speaking of heading back to Kettlecorn, have you given any more thought of maybe taking the train there for Christmas?"

"Oh my gosh! I had almost forgotten, but I would love to give it a try..." Bailey paused. "How would we get back on Christmas morning though?"

Cody smiled. "Easy...We drive back here to Boston, park our SUVs, catch the train here, fly back to Boston on Christmas morning, and our SUVS will already be here..."

Bailey smiled. "Good thinking, Codykins...Let's check and see if its even possible."

So, they pulled up the Amtrak website and checked. There was a train leaving Boston at 10:00 AM Saturday morning after finals. It would arrive in Chicago at 9:00 AM the next morning, and from there they would catch another train in to Topeka that would arrive about 10:00 PM.

Bailey turned to Cody. "That would work out perfect. Topeka is only about forty minutes from Kettlecorn. We would be home before midnight..."

Cody nodded. "And look, there is a bedroom compartment that has two sides, one for us and one for Zack and Cassie..."

Bailey grinned. "I'm game if they are..."

"Lets find out then..."

Cody and Bailey returned to the 23rd floor in time for pie. The pumpkin pie was delicious, and everyone hung out for a little while longer just hanging out. When it got late, Bailey, Cody, Cassie and Zack made their way back to their suite. When they were in the elevator, Cody sprung the question on Zack and Cassie.

"What would you two think of taking the train out to Kettlecorn when we head there in a few weeks?"

Zack turned to Cassie before turning back to his brother. "Seriously?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah. We took it to Washington and loved it. And we thought an overnight trip would be a lot of fun. We've already checked and its possible. We'd still fly back on Christmas morning though..."

Zack turned to Cassie. "What do you think?"

Cassie paused. "I've never taken a train other than a subway. It might be fun..."

Zack nodded. "Why not? Never let it be said Zack Martin was afraid to try new things..."

Cassie laughed. "Except brands of cheese, cereal, shoes, underwear..."

Zack sighed. "Alright, alright...We get the picture..."

Cassie turned to Cody and Bailey. "Count us in..."

Bailey smiled. "We'll take care of everything..."

Friday of Thanksgiving was spent avoiding the malls and other shops as much as possible. No one had any desire to battle the crowds on Black Friday. So, instead, they stayed in and watched the Iron Bowl (Alabama and Auburn for those not familiar with it) followed by Texas and Texas A&M. Saturday was their chance to see live college football. Katie and Zoey were excited to see a live college football game.

Going in, Zack warned them not to get their expectations too high as it was still Ivy League football. But, even Zack was impressed by the improvement in Yale's team. They were much better than they were two years ago. Of course, Harvard still sucked and most of their fans left at halftime to avoid the taunts from the Yale alumni. And the Yale alumni didn't disappoint and were very loud and boisterous as they left the stadium shouting the Yale fight song. Zack turned to Cody and Bailey and said he would disown them if they ever acted like that.

Sunday, it was time for everyone to head back home. Katie and Zoey wanted to get back to the ship. Katie was anxious to see Billy again. Zoey, though she wouldn't admit it, wanted to see Chas again. Even though she knew she liked him, she wasn't ready to admit it yet. Mitch, Amy, Michelle and Ellie dropped them back off at the ship before they headed for their airport and their flight back to Seattle.

Cody, Bailey, Cassie and Zack had to be getting back themselves. All four only had two weeks of classes left before finals. Of course, for Cody and Bailey, that second week was going to be their reading week. So, in all actuality, they only had one last week of classes left. And when they woke up on Monday morning, they weren't sure what to do with themselves.

"Bails, what do we do today? Our Economics projects are done and graded. Professor Wainwright has our rough drafts for the first part of our papers. Don't tell me we have nothing to do..."

Bailey smiled. "Well, there is nothing we have to do, but there is something we can do..."

"What's that?"

"We can spend today organizing all of our research and results for the second halves of our Biology papers, and then we can spend Wednesday preparing our outlines for it. If we can get Professor Wainwright to approve them before next semester, we can get right to work once classes begin..."

Cody smiled and kissed her cheek. "Have I told you lately how brilliant you are?"

Bailey grinned. "You have, but I never get tired of hearing it. Let's get to work, Codykins..."

And that's just what they did. By Friday morning, they really had nothing to do.

Cody laughed. "Alright, now what do we do?"

Bailey leaned in and kissed him. "I think we can find something for us to do..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: For those disappointed in which grad school they chose, don't blame me! LOL I put it to a vote and Tufts won a narrow victory over Penn. Besides, how many other authors on here have given their readers input into the story and let them decide how parts of the story will go? Oh well, we have 26 chapters left to get us through the end of the fall semester, Christmas and and the spring semester. And if you want something to look forward too, at some point, you will see both Cody and Bailey drunk... **


	50. Finishing the Fifth Semester

_Chapter 50_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

On Saturday, Cody and Bailey decided to have some fun before they got into reading week and finals. They called Max and Tapeworm to see if they were up for some ice skating, and they were. They met at the Whale and spent an afternoon having fun skating around. Once they were done there, they decided to do some Christmas shopping to get as much done as possible. By the time the mall closed, Bailey and Max walked ahead while Cody and Tapeworm struggled along after being saddled with numerous shopping bags. The ladies were nice about it and let the guys decide where they would get dinner.

On Sunday, Cody and Bailey just hung around the house. They went back over the list of gut classes Bill had given them as well as the schedule of classes for the spring semester. They both decided on some classes they wouldn't mind taking. After that, they looked at apartments in Boston online. They knew they had already enlisted someone to help them, but they wanted to make sure they didn't miss anything.

"Hey, Bails, check this place out!"

Bailey walked over and looked over Cody's shoulder. "It looks nice...but why about it has you so excited?"

Cody grinned. "Because its two blocks down the street from the Tufts Med School and Vet School..."

Bailey grinned at that. "Well, then, let's take a closer look at it..."

Cody and Bailey looked at floor plans and amenities for the place, but there was a large sticking point – price.

Cody sighed. "I knew it was too good to be true..."

Bailey smiled at him. "Maybe its not..."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember, Yale still wants to settle with us...I have no problem letting them pay for our housing during grad school..."

Cody grinned again. "Bails, you are devious...I like it!"

Bailey grinned too. "Give our broker a call and tell her to make sure to make an appointment to see it..."

"Yes, ma'am..."

Cody did make the call, and he was assured they would get a tour of the place. And their broker did call and set up an appointment for Bailey Pickett and Cody Martin to see a two bedroom apartment. Of course, once their names were entered in the apartment building's system, a red flag was immediately raised. It was nothing Cody and Bailey had done wrong. In fact, quite the opposite. Seemed the building was owned by a corporation that was a subsidiary of Wellington Industries.

On Monday, they had their final advising meeting with Bill. They showed up at his office at 9:00 AM, and he motioned them inside.

Bill grinned. "Well, this is our last time doing this, let's have some fun with it. I know you're already taking the second semester of your Biology senior project, and you're already enrolled in it. That leaves you three classes to take, one of which has to be a Economics class over the 400 level..."

Bailey smiled. "You know what we're going to ask..."

Bill sighed. "I know...and I'm teaching Population Economics..."

Cody grinned. "Now, would that be Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday from 9:00-10:15?"

Bill rolled his eyes. "Tuesday/Thursday..."

"Sign us up...We have to have one last class with you..."

Bill turned to his computer and hit a few keys. "Done...What's next?"

This time, Bailey grinned. "Modern American Culture in Film..."

Bill groaned. "Another gut class, I should have known...Movies for morons..."

Bill turned back to his computer to find it. "Alright, here it is...Wednesdays from 9:30 till 12:00..." He turned to face them. "I admit, Professor Shaw has gotten sneaky this year..."

"What do you mean?"

"He knows its a gut class and doesn't care. He's retiring in a couple of year. But seems he scheduled it this year to screw with schedules. By taking it, you can't take Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes in the mornings..."

Bailey grinned. "Doesn't affect us then..."

Bill smiled. "Well, you're both now enrolled in it...What's our final selection?"

Cody nodded. "We decided to take a History class..."

"That's good...Which one?"

Cody grinned. "Baseball and American Society..."

Bill rolled his eyes again. "Sheesh..." He paused and laughed. "Hey, your second semester seniors and can take whatever you want, so more power to you..." Bill turned back to his computer to search for the class. "Tuesday/Thursday, 11-12:15...Okay, your both in and done..."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you..."

Bill shrugged. "Not a problem..." He proceeded to print out their schedules for them.

"No, thank you for everything you've done for us the past three years. We couldn't have asked for a better adviser or better landlords than you and Jo..."

Cody nodded. "Bailey's right. You two have made our college experience here at Yale so much easier on us, and we really do appreciate everything you have done. I don't know what we can ever do to repay the kindness you both have shown us..."

Bill smiled. "You already have. Jo told me she had a good feeling about you two, and you haven't disappointed us in the least. We like to give students we think have potential a helping hand. You two are off to med school and vet school. You've both done nothing but bring credit to yourself and to this university. We were just glad we could help. We could only hope all students we choose turn out as well as you two...Of course, if you two know of people to take over for you, we'd appreciate it..."

Bailey grinned. "Give us a little time, we might know just the students..."

Bill nodded. "Just let us know...Now, I assume you two are off to study, but I have no idea why. You only have two exams, and on one of them, I'm pretty sure you only need a 20 on it to keep your A's..."

Cody grinned. "Actually, we only need 12's..."

Bill rolled his eyes. "Go on, get out of here..."

Cody and Bailey left Bill's office and began walking home. As they did, they talked about their schedules.

"Well, we have Mondays and Fridays off again...And Tuesdays and Thursdays are open for us to keep working those afternoons..."

Cody nodded. "And we can use Mondays, Fridays and Wednesday afternoons to work on our Biology papers..."

Bailey smiled. "I can't wait to take our two elective classes...They actually sound like fun."

Cody laughed. "Think we'll be allowed to bring in drinks and popcorn to the movies?"

Bailey paused. "No harm in asking..."

"By the way, when you told Bill we might know some people to take over for us, you were talking about Max and Tapeworm, right?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah. They've both talked about going to grad school here at Yale. They've date three years, maybe they are ready to live together?"

Cody shrugged. "They basically already are anyways..."

Bailey stopped him. "Are you serious?"

Cody smiled. "Maybe...But I'm not one to gossip..."

Bailey laughed. "Uh huh...Good for them then..."

"I know...I knew our junior year of high school that I wanted to live with you..."

"I remember..."

"And its been even better than I ever could have imagined..."

Bailey leaned in and kissed him. "It has, hasn't it...Just think, we get to live together everyday for the rest of our lives..."

Cody smiled. "I know. I look forward to every day of it..."

Bailey and Cody returned home to begin studying for finals. But, Bill was right. They didn't have much to study for. Bailey's Animal Behaviorism and Cody's Human Anatomy finals were both on Saturday afternoon, and their Computers and the Law final was on Monday morning. And Cody was right too, they did only need 12's to get A's in Computers and the Law. So, they spent all of reading week studying for their first exam.

By Friday night, both were almost getting sick of looking at their notes and their materials. They had been studying straight for five days, and if they didn't know the material by then, they never would. So, on Saturday afternoon, both walked over to campus about an hour before their exams. Before they headed their separate ways, they gave each other a kiss for good luck. Well, both were ready and dominated the exams. When they both got home, they took a break for dinner before starting in on Computers and the Law. And they spent all day Sunday studying for it as well. On Monday morning, both took their exam and walked out thinking they had done a lot better than a 12.

Once home, they just relaxed. Christmas break was here, and for once, they had already completed their shopping early. So, they took the next couple of days to relax and get ready to head back to Kettlecorn. And both couldn't help but smile. Only one more semester till they graduated. Only one more semester before they moved back to Boston. Only one more semester till they began grad school. And only one more semester before they got married.

_To be Continued..._


	51. Clickety Clack

_Chapter 51_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Since Cassie and Zack didn't finish their finals until Friday morning, the four of them couldn't head back to Boston until Friday night. Being done on Monday, Cody and Bailey just hung around the house and did nothing. It didn't hurt that they got the first decent snow of the winter, so they had no where they needed to be.

As Bailey relaxed against Cody on the couch, she looked up.

"That place we looked at on-line did have fireplaces right?"

Cody nodded. "Some of the floor plans did..."

Bailey grinned. "Keep those in mind..."

On Thursday afternoon, they received a call from Professor Wainwright. He told them the first half of their papers were top notch and were easily A efforts. Further, he told them their outlines for the second halves were well structured and thought out. He gave them the green light to begin typing the rest of the papers.

On Friday evening, Cody and Bailey were packed up and on the road. At about 7:00, they pulled into the rest area to wait for Zack and Cassie. And they rolled in about ten minutes later. Since it was so cold outside and already dark, nobody bothered getting out of their cars. They just kept on moving down the road back to Boston. Once there, they checked into their suite for the night. Zack and Cassie had been up early for exams and then had done laundry the rest of the day. So, they were up to get something to eat and then hit the bed.

The next morning, they Tipton shuttle dropped them off at the train station at 9:15. They got their boarding passes and just waited. Right before 10:00, the train had pulled in and was ready to be boarded, so they did. They found their sleeping car they had been assigned to and discovered their bedroom compartment was on the second level of the car. Both couples entered their halves of it and got settled in. Everyone found the spaces cramped, but they decided they were actually pretty nice considering. Besides, they had survived three years in student cabins on the S.S. Tipton.

Once the train was moving, they all headed for the dining car for breakfast. As all of their meals were included in their ticket prices, they could order anything they wanted. After breakfast, they returned to their own compartments. Cassie and Zack pulled out a deck of cards and played some gin rummy. Bailey and Cody pulled out their laptops to try to get some work done, but soon, they found out it caused them to get motion sickness. So, they put their work away and joined Zack and Cassie in playing cards. No one seemed to mind when Zack suggested they switch to poker so he and Cody could get some practice.

That afternoon, they hit the dining car again for lunch before heading back to their compartments. In each compartment, both couples were snuggled up on their benches watching movies on their laptops. Several hours and several movies later, they all met again for a late dinner. As they sat around the table in the dining car, they talked.

Cassie smiled. "You know, I'm really enjoying this. Getting across country without having my ears constantly popping..."

Bailey laughed. "I know, right? And after being on a cruise ship for so long, I can barely tell we're moving..."

Cody turned to his brother. "What about you, Zack?"

Zack nodded. "I admit. Its actually pretty fun..." He laughed. "Of course, the real test will be when I have to use the small bathroom/shower in the morning...I just hope I fit inside..."

Cody laughed. "Yeah, they are on the small side I noticed..."

"But, like Bailey said, its actually a lot like being back on the ship. I was initially worried about being able to sleep, but I doubt it will be a problem..."

Well, after dinner, they got their chance to find out. The porter came by and offered to fold their bench seat down into their bed for them. Of course, once he did that, the already cramped quarters became even more cramped.

Bailey laughed. "Cody, is there even room for us to change into our pajamas?"

Cody paused. "Even better question...can we get to our bags from here?"

Bailey turned and noticed the bags were indeed on the other side of the compartment with the bed taking up all of the room in the middle. Bailey shrugged. "Oh well, I guess we don't really need them. Just make sure our door over to their cabin is locked..."

"Okay..." Cody did that and undressed down to a tshirt and boxers and turned to find Bailey in her bra and panties.

Bailey sighed. "I wish I could at least get to my Patriots jersey so I could take my bra off..."

Immediately, Cody pulled off his shirt and handed it to her. "Here..."

Bailey smiled at him. "You sure?"

"Absolutely. It will look much better on you anyways..."

Bailey kissed his cheek and proceeded to remove her bra and paused. She turned back to Cody and grinned when she noticed he was staring again. "Cody?"

Cody snapped out of his gaze and looked up. "Huh?"

"You did say last time you wondered how private these compartments were..."

"Uh huh..."

Bailey walked over with a grin on her face. "Lets find out..." And with that, she reached up, kissed Cody and yanked his boxers down..."

The rest of the night, they held each other close. The so called double bed was closer to a single, but that didn't matter to them in the least. Of course, they did test the privacy of the compartment and ended up joining the Clickety-Clack Club (_The train equivalent of the mile high club_). Early the next morning, they did learn just how small the bathroom/shower was. As much as they wanted to shower together, there just wasn't enough room for the both of them. So, Cody told Bailey to go first and he would put up the bed. He did that and was finally able to get to their backpacks they used as carry on bags. By this time, Bailey was finished in the shower and they traded places. Soon enough, both were showered and dressed. Checking their watches, they saw they had about two hours until they were due in Chicago.

They knocked on the door to Cassie and Zack's compartment, and were greeted by a freshly woken up Zack.

"What?"

"We arrive in Chicago in two hours. We wanted to give you two the heads up..."

"Whatever..." And with that, Zack closed the door back.

Cody and Bailey shrugged and made their way to the dining car for an early breakfast. When they returned to their cabin, they cleaned up everything and sat back to enjoy the last hour of the ride into Chicago. Soon after, there was a knock at the door with Zack asking how exactly the shower worked. Seems Zack and Cassie were finally up and about.

At about 9:15, the trained pulled into Chicago. Everyone gathered up their carry on bags, and their other bags would be transferred over. At 11:00, they were on their way to Topeka. That leg, they didn't have sleeping compartments as they would be in Kansas before the day was over. Instead, they had regular seats much like on a plane. However, they spent most of the time in the dining car playing even more cards and other games the train had available.

At 10:00, the train pulled in to Topeka, and there waiting on them were Kurt and Sarah. Once all of their bags were gathered, they all loaded into the minivan and began the relatively short trip back to Kettlecorn. Most of the conversation was spent on asking them about how they enjoyed the train ride. Soon enough, they were all back in Kettlecorn and at the Pickett farm. Since it was late, Bailey actually held back and helped walk Porkers out to the barn so he could stretch out and get some sleep.

Once inside, there wasn't the usual mass gathering as it was 11:00 PM and everyone was either in bed or at their own homes. But, Joe and Maggie had coffee and desert waiting for them. And everyone sat around the table talking.

Kurt turned to Zack. "So, what's on tap for next semester?"

"Let me think...Principles of Managerial Accounting, Principles of Public Speaking, Intro to Statistics..."

Cody and Bailey both laughed. "Good luck with that one...We took a stats class and hated every second of it.."

Zack sighed. "Great...And my last two are Sports Law and Sport Facility and Event Management..."

Kurt nodded. "Sounds interesting..."

Sarah nodded too. "Yeah..." She turned to Cassie. "What about you?"

"Educational Psychology, Classroom and Behavior Management, and several other music classes like conducting and harmony.

Sarah shuddered. "Good luck with that..."

Kurt laughed and turned to Cody and Bailey. "How about you two?"

"Well, Dad, we finish our Biology senior project next semester and take our final Economics class, Population Economics..."

Joe spoke up. "What else do you have?"

Bailey smiled. "Two gut classes..."

"What's a gut class?"

"Daddy, they're classes that are considered easy A's..."

"What are you taking then..."

"Modern American Culture in Film...otherwise known as Movies for Morons...and Baseball and American Society..."

Zack turned to Cody and Bailey. "Are you serious?"

Cody grinned and nodded. "Yup..."

Maggie spoke up. "So, after that, you graduate and are off to Boston. Have you two looked at apartments yet?"

Bailey nodded. "We have someone looking for places that fit our needs. We're supposed to go look at them after Christmas..."

Joe spoke up. "Will your stipends cover the rent? I know Boston can be kind of pricey..."

Bailey grinned. "Don't worry, Daddy...we'll be able to afford it just fine..." And with that Bailey turned and gave Cody a sly wink.

Soon afterwards, everyone was tired and it was time to go to bed. After calling it a night, Cody and Bailey headed up to Bailey's bedroom. As Bailey laid there in Cody's arms, she couldn't help but think. This would be the last time she would be coming to Kettlecorn as Bailey Pickett. The next time she was here, she would be Mrs. Bailey Martin. She smiled. She always did when she thought of herself as that. She turned so she could look at a sleeping Cody. While part of her would always be a farm girl, she was so much more now. She was soon to be a college graduate. And in a few years, she would be a veterinarian. But most importantly, she would be a wife to the man lying there next to her. As she snuggled in even closer to him, she once again thanked God that He had guided her to the S.S. Tipton. Life was good. And it was only going to get better.

_To be Continued..._


	52. Christmas Time Again

_Chapter 52_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The week in Kettlecorn flew by as everyone just relaxed. The day after they arrived is when all the family finally swarmed in and wanted to know every single detail about the wedding and going to Tufts. Zack and Cassie decided to take pity on Cody and Bailey and said they were going to the Tavern to watch the UCONN game. Zack gave his brother a look when he invited them to come alone.

Bailey looked at them in confusion. "But we got them a..."

Cody clamped his hand over Bailey's mouth. "We'd love to go out with you guys..."

Bailey gave him a look of confusion. "But there is a satellite here now..."

Cody grinned. "And so is everyone wanting to ask us 200 questions..."

Bailey paused and nodded. "Oh...I gotcha...Yeah, let's go..."

So, they headed down to the tavern for the game. Again, Cody and Bailey could care less about the actual game itself, so they headed back over to the pool table again. Both just hoped they didn't run into anyone like last year when they ran into Moose and Betsy Sue. They played a few games and were just having fun when they heard a voice behind them.

"Well, I hope you two are happy!"

Both turned around. Cody saw someone he didn't recognize, but Bailey did.

She sighed. "Hello, Bear...What do you want?"

"Don't give me that! Thanks to you, Betsy Sue divorced Moose and skipped town..."

Cody spoke up. "How is that Bailey's fault? Personally, I think Betsy Sue made a smart decision..."

Bailey nodded. "I agree. She had dreams, and now, she can pursue them. Moose didn't understand that, and that's his problem...Besides, she never asked him to assault her."

"Thanks to your meddling, he's now in prison for the next three years!"

"Again, his fault, not ours..."

Bear glared at Bailey. "You just had to think you were all high and mighty and..."

Cody cut him off. "That's enough. No one speaks to my fiancee like that. I suggest you apologize to her for interrupting us and move on. If you don't, you won't like what happens..."

Bear scoffed. "What are you going to do, city slicker?"

"I'm not the one you should be worried about. Its who we know...If we have to get them involved, you won't like what happens." With that Cody turned around to head back to Bailey's side. Bear grabbed his shoulder to turn him around.

"Why you little..." But that was all he got out before Cody once again administered the Sleep of the Striking Cobra on him. Bear dropped like a sack of rocks. Immediately, someone came running over to them.

"I'm a deputy sheriff, what happened?"

Bailey immediately spoke. "Bear assaulted Cody, and Cody defended himself..."

The deputy nodded and turned to Cody. "You want to press charges?"

Cody shook his head. "Nah. I think knowing he got bested by a 'city slicker' in front of everyone is enough punishment..."

Bailey wrapped her arm around him and whispered in his ear. "Seriously, you're going to have to show me how you do that..."

Cody nodded. "Of course, Sweetie...Its probably a good idea you know an easy trick to defend yourself..." He grinned. "Just don't use it on me..."

Bailey smiled at him. "I won't...unless I need keep you in line."

The rest of the week was spent hanging around the house mainly. One day, Cody and Bailey spent the whole day at the kitchen table working on their Biology papers together. Both were so focused, that it was almost entertaining to watch them. Seeing Cody and Bailey study together was nothing knew for Zack and Cassie, so they watched TV instead. However, to Kurt, Sarah, Joe and Maggie, it was like getting a glimpse into how they worked together. And all four were impressed, especially considering they didn't understand a combined ten words Cody and Bailey had used when they described their papers.

Finally, Christmas Eve arrived and the usual routine was followed. After breakfast, the ladies and Cody almost immediately began cooking Christmas dinner. When everything was prepared and only waiting its turn in the oven, everyone relaxed. And they watched the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. Well, they tried to, but the MAC versus Conference USA wasn't exciting stuff.

Soon, dinner was ready and everyone gathered around the table to eat. After sufficiently stuffing themselves, they all gathered around the Christmas tree for presents. Again, they started from youngest to oldest. Finally, it was time for the 20 year olds. Along with the usual cash and gift cards, each couple had one gift to open together. For Zack and Cassie, it was a UCONN themed combination cooler and grill for tailgating. Both grinned and said they couldn't wait to use it for games the next year. For Cody and Bailey, it was something similar. However, theirs was more of a picnic backpack. It had straps that held in plates, silverware and glasses. Further on the interior, there were two insulated sections – one to keep warm items warm and one to keep cold items cold. On one side was a rolled up picnic blanket. On the other was an insulated pocket to hold a bottle (whether it be wine or other beverages). Cody and Bailey loved it and said they would get a lot of use out of it.

Finally, it came time for their parents gifts.

"The four of us talked about this and tried to think of things you all needed or could use. And to be honest, we hit major roadblocks..."

Bailey nodded. "But we think we came up with something that could be useful for all of you..."

Cassie finished. "So, without further ado..."

Zack handed a rectangular box to to both Kurt and Sarah and Joe and Maggie.

They opened them and found inside brand new video cameras.

"We thought there would be all kinds of useful things for you to use them on, including several upcoming graduations..."

All of the adults laughed and thanked them for them. For Kurt and Sarah, they could use them to record their performances so they could go back and review them. For Joe and Maggie, it would be a good way to capture various things on the farm to keep record of.

Soon, gifts were all given and everyone got ready to head to church. After church, the four 20 year olds hugged and said goodbye to everyone and said they would see them in May for Cody and Bailey's graduation. Kurt and Sarah loaded them up and began the drive back to Wichita for the two couples red eye flight to Boston. There, Kurt and Sarah said goodbye to them.

"Don't forget, boys...We will be there for your birthdays in March. I can't wait to officially swear you two in as Martin men..."

After waiting around in the airport for a few hours, they boarded their flight for Boston. At around 8:00 AM Boston time, they arrived. Naturally, Carey and Ellie were there to welcome them home. They headed back to the Tipton, got their suite keys and proceeded to crash again. Once they woke back up later that afternoon, everyone headed back down for Wilfred Tipton's complimentary Christmas Dinner. Maddie wasn't there this year, but everyone got a chance to catch up with Esteban, Francesca, Norman and Skippy.

After dinner, everyone headed back up to Carey's suite for more presents. And like usual, there were even more gift cards and cash. Also, each of the four received a big fluffy bath towel that matched each of their bathroom color schemes. When it came turn for the gifts for the adults, Zack took over.

"Grandma, we remember you saying how much you enjoyed the spa treatment we got you a couple of years ago, so..." He handed her an envelope. "...we got you another one..."

Cody spoke up and handed her a gift basket. "And we also got you a collection of your favorite moisturizers, soaps, shampoos and other good stuff..."

Ellie smiled at them. "Thank you all. I'm sure I will enjoy all of these immensely..."

Zack turned to his Mom and Arwin. "Last year, the trip to Atlantic City was Cassie and my idea. This year, we let Cody and Bailey choose..."

Carey nodded in trepidation. "So, a trip to Vermont?"

Cody smirked. "Well, we enjoyed it immensely, but no...We've bought a long weekend in New York City for you both. A suite at the New York Tipton, tickets to a Broadway show, dinner at your choice of New York's finest restaurants, the works..."

Carey sighed in relief. "That sounds wonderful..."

Arwin nodded. "Yeah, should be fun..."

Cody turned to Zack and Cassie. "As for you two..."

Bailey spoke up. "We're returning the favor from last year..."

Zack gulped. "We got Vermont?"

Cody shook his head. "For the last time, Vermont was a lot of fun!" He sighed. 'Anyways, we didn't go with Vermont. We chose...Atlantic City. If we may suggest, save it for Cassie's birthday weekend and go away and have some fun..."

Cassie smiled. "That sounds like a great idea. Thanks, you two..."

Bailey smiled back. "Of course, we didn't forget the subscription to XM/Sirius..." She handed Cassie and envelope.

Cassie handed one right back to her and grinned. "Neither did we..."

Zack spoke up. "Now, since you two will be back in Boston this year, we're sending you to Martha's Vineyard..."

Cody smiled. "Thanks, Bro...Sounds like fun..." He turned and whispered to Bailey. "We sure aren't very original with Christmas ideas this year, are we?"

Zack spoke again. "That's all we have this year. Cassie's and my gift to ourselves is that we are saving up to go on spring break this year somewhere fun and foreign. We'll be celebrating a Merry Christmas down in Cancun..."

Cody turned to Bailey. "Hmmm...That could be fun..."

Bailey grinned. "Have you decided that's where our spring break will be?"

Cody shook his head. "Nope..." He turned to everyone else. "As for Bailey and my gifts to each other, we're buying each other something we should have a couple of years ago. We're buying each other a new bicycle so we can get to and from class easier..."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Now you get a new bike...Not when you lived with me so I could...borrow...it..."

Everyone laughed, until they were interrupted by Carey and Arwin.

"Since everyone is gathered here, Carey and I have an announcement to make..."

Carey smiled. "Arwin and I have decided to move in together..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: Seems Debby gave another interview over the weekend. Here is the important part. "Debby didn't say very much about The Suite Life on Deck but she did talk about how she knew alot people were really freaked out about the breakup and it was very upsetting because everybody just loves Cody and Bailey and also how she absolutely adores them as a couple. Debby also said she can't wait until fans see some of the new episodes as they try to works things out and get through it." So, looks like we will be getting more and more Cailey interaction leading up to Kettlecorn. If I had to take a wild guess, I say it starts in Senior Skip Day.**


	53. Movin' on Up

_Chapter 53_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Everyone just stared at Arwin and Carey, but nothing was actually said. Finally, Ellie spoke.

"Well...Its about time!"

Everyone else nodded and agreed.

Carey and Arwin looked at each other and then back at everyone else. "Wait...You all aren't surprised?"

Cody laughed. "Well, we're just surprised its taken this long. You two have been a serious item since our senior year of high school. Its not like we didn't see this coming..."

Zack nodded. "The Codester is right. But, Congratulations to you both..."

Bailey and Cassie added their congratulations as well.

Zack grinned then. "So, Arwin...You're giving up the bachelor pad, huh?"

"Actually, no...That place is rent controlled! I'm just going to sublease it and make some money off of it..."

Cody nodded. "Good idea. Too bad its on this side of town or we would be try to rent it from you..."

Carey just shook her head. "Wait a minute here! So, no one is upset at all that I will be living in sin?"

Cody and Zack looked at each other. "No...I mean, it would be hypocritical of us if we were..."

"Cody is right...I've been 'living in sin' with Cassie for almost two years now, and he and Bailey for almost four..."

"Yeah, Mom. You understand we want to live with the women we love. We understand you want to do the same..."

Carey smiled. "Thank you then..." She paused. "Now, speaking of apartments, when are you two going to look?"

"Day after tomorrow..."

Well, the day after tomorrow finally arrived, and Carey, Ellie, Zack, Cassie, Bailey and Cody crammed into one of the SUV's and were off. Arwin wanted to go, but an emergency with the hotel's furnace prevented him from doing so. Cody and Bailey met up with their consultant and she took everyone to a series of potential places she had found.

However, to Cody and Bailey, none of them seemed to fit right. They found some that had everything they needed, but were just too far from campus. And the ones close to campus either lacked significant things they needed or were run down dumps. They were going to be busy enough as it was to deal with fixing up a place. Both were beginning to get discouraged when the consultant said they had the place left they had requested her set up an appointment.

As they drove towards it, they passed the Tufts University Hospital. Cody and Bailey pointed out the medical school attached to the hospital and the vet school across the street from it. Finally, they pulled up to the place Cody and Bailey found on line. And it was much more impressive in person. It was a tower that was probably thirty stories tall and looked very modern. They parked in a visitor's spot and walked into the lobby to look around.

Cody and Bailey were immediately in awe. The lobby had a Dunkin Donuts, a restaurant, an all night coffee shop, a lounge, a drug store and a grocery store attached to it. Both looked at each other and grinned. With all of those under the same roof, a Noreaster would never bother them again. Eventually, an employee of the building met up with them.

"I would like to officially welcome you. My name is Kenneth, and I will be your guide today. Now, which ones of you are Cody Martin and Bailey Pickett?"

Cody and Bailey raised their arms. "That's us..."

"Very good...As you can see, our lobby has many of the amenities you need without ever having to walk outside. We also have a 24 hour front desk with concierge service. In addition, we have our own doorman, dry cleaning pick up and delivery, an underground garage as well as bike storage. And as I'm sure you noticed, we're only a block away from Boston Common..."

Bailey smiled and turned to Cody. "Where the Frog Pond is where we ice skated..."

"Now, if you all will follow me, I will show you the on site fitness center..." Kenneth lead them up to the second floor where they fitness center was located. "As you can see, our residents have access to a full gym including sauna, message center, and..." He lead them to another door. "an indoor heated pool in a solarium like enclosure."

Cody and Bailey looked around and liked what they saw. They wouldn't have to leave the building to do their workouts anymore.

"Now, I understand you were looking for a two bedroom apartment with a fireplace. If you will follow me, I will show you what we have in that."

Kenneth lead them to the elevator and took them up to the 20th floor. He lead them down a hallway and unlocked a door. He let them walk in and look around. Cody and Bailey walked into to a small foyer. To the right was a coat closet, and to the left was a utility room with full size washed and dryer. Walking in further, the kitchen was on the left. There were stainless steel appliances, a built-in microwave, granite counter tops, maple wood cabinetry, a pantry and a island with breakfast bar. Beyond the kitchen was a combined dining/living room area. And off of it, there was a balcony that overlooked Boston Harbor. To the left of the kitchen was a full bathroom that also connected to the smaller bedroom. And the second bedroom had a nice walk in closet. On the other side of the apartment was the master bedroom and bathroom. It too had a very large walk in closet. The bedroom was huge and had a view of Boston Harbor as well. The master bath had a large garden tub, a dual sink vanity, and a shower as well.

Cody and Bailey turned to each other and smiled again.

"I think we can work with this..."

Bailey nodded. "You bet we can..." She turned to Kenneth. "And how much a month is this?"

"$4,500 a month..."

Cody and Bailey nodded while everyone else's eyes bugged open and their mouths hung open. Finally, Carey spoke.

"$4,500 a month? Can you two afford that?"

Cody smiled. "Yeah, we can...We have our Jeopardy money and...ummm...our living stipends..."

Zack just shook his head. "That must be some stipend!"

Kenneth spoke up again. "I take it you both are impressed?"

Bailey nodded. "Very much so..."

"Good. However, there is one more floor plan that I have been instructed to show you. So, if you will follow me..."

Everyone did, and they returned to the elevator. This time, Kenneth entered a key into the panel and turned it. Once that was done, he hit the 'P' button.

"The penthouse? Why are you showing us that?"

"Just doing what I was instructed to do, Miss Pickett..."

Bailey turned to Cody and both shrugged. Once the elevator came to a stop and the door opened, Kenneth lead them down another hall. Of course, everyone noticed that there were not more than six doors on the whole hallway. Kenneth stopped them in front of two double doors and opened one of them. Again, he stepped aside and let everyone enter.

Bailey and Cody walked into a very elegant foyer and noticed another closet to their right. Right out of the foyer, the entered a large open area. Straight ahead was the living room/dining area with ample space for each. And in the corner, there was a fireplace. Both Cody and Bailey smiled at seeing that. To the right was a hallway. Off of the hallway were two bedrooms, a full bath and a large utility room with full washer and dryer. To the right, was a large gourmet kitchen. It had all the same amenities as the other kitchen did but with a double refrigerator and larger pantry. Next to the kitchen was a doorway into what was a huge master bedroom. Again, the walk-in closet was huge. The master bath had a double vanity, an even bigger garden tub and a large walk-in shower.

Cody and Bailey were in complete awe by this place. But both knew there was no way they could afford it.

Kenneth spoke up. "There's more..."

Beyond the kitchen was a pair of double doors that lead out into a private solarium. Cody and Bailey looked on in longing as both saw it had a built in hot tub. Off to the side of the solarium was a door outside to what they figured was another balcony. Turns out it wasn't. They were on the roof, and the apartment had a private roof top deck.

Cody and Bailey turned to Kenneth. "We appreciate you showing us this, but we know there is no way we can afford this..."

Carey nodded. "This place has to at least be $10,000 a month..."

Kenneth nodded. "$12,500 to be exact..."

Cody paused. "Why did you show us this place then?"

From behind them, they heard a voice. "Because I told him to..."

Everyone turned and saw someone they recognized or thought they recognized.

"I own this building..."

Ellie just shook her head and laughed. "I should have known you were behind this..."

Carey, Zack and Cassie were confused. "You should have known Uncle Mitch owned this building?"

Ellie paused and looked over and Cody and Bailey who just shrugged. Then she looked at Tommy with a question in her eyes. He smiled and nodded.

"Carey...Zack...Cassie...That's not my brother, Mitch...That's my brother, Tommy..."

Zack, Cassie and Carey just looked on in complete shock.

_To be Continued..._


	54. A New Home

_Chapter 54_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Ellie, Cody and Bailey couldn't help but smile at seeing the looks of total shock and confusion on the faces of Carey, Zack and Cassie. Finally, Ellie turned back to Tommy.

"So, I assume this means you are free to be yourself now?"

Tommy grinned. "Sure am. I am officially back part of the family again..."

"Good. Its about time!"

Carey turned to her mother. "Wait...You've know about this for a while?"

Ellie smiled and nodded. "I sure did. I learned back in October about Tommy actually being alive...A good six months after those two did..." She gestured to Cody and Bailey.

Zack turned to his brother. "You knew about this and didn't tell anyone?"

Before Cody could say something, Tommy spoke up. "No, I asked him and Bailey not to. If you will all give me a few minutes, I think I can explain things..."

And with that, Tommy essentially gives everyone the same story he gave Cody and Bailey in the Tomb. "And with me no longer knowing any big government secrets, I'm free to be me again..."

Everyone just looked at each other trying to digest everything. Finally, Carey spoke.

"Well, I guess I have another uncle then..."

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, along with some cousins. I have a son Mitchell and two grandchildren, Ty and Ella...I hope you will get to meet them soon..."

Cody spoke up. "Everyone is invited to come to our wedding and get to know each other there..."

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, that would be a good opportunity to do so...Ty and Beth have already been invited."

Tommy smiled. "I will check with everyone, but that sounds like a good idea..."

Zack just looked back and forth between his new Great Uncle Tommy and his brother. "Wait a minute here! Who are Ty and Beth? And how did you two already know about all of this?"

Cody grinned. "Sorry, Zack...Ty and Beth are friends of ours...well, Ty is actually our cousin. As for how we know, we can't say..."

Zack was incredulous. "What do you mean you can't say?"

Cody winked at his brother. "We can't say..."

Zack was about to say something else when Cassie whispered something in his ear. Zack sighed. "Fine..."

Carey had been thinking about something. "Did you say you owned this building?"

Tommy nodded. "Yes. Well, my company does. Wellington Industries..."

"But that's owned by Ben Wellington..."

Tommy laughed. "You're looking at him. That's what the government changed my name to. Speaking of which, I need to discuss this penthouse with Cody and Bailey..."

Bailey sighed. "There's no way we can afford this. We're just two students..."

Ellie grinned. "Something tells me there is a family discount..."

"She's right. Tell you what. Cody, Bailey and I will negotiate, and then I will take you all out to dinner. Carey, feel free to invite Arwin to join us..."

Carey just stared at him. "But...how...how do you know about Arwin?"

Cody and Bailey just looked at each other and tried to keep from laughing.

"There is a lounge on the second floor with a game room. Please be my guests and relax there. Cody and Bailey, please follow me to one of the conference rooms..."

Everyone did just that. Ellie, Zack, Cassie and Carey went into the lounge and relaxed in the comfy chairs and watched one of the flat screen TV's. Cody and Bailey followed Tommy to a conference room down the hall from it.

"Alright, I hear Cody maybe going to med school but has the skills of a barrister. Lets see what you've got..."

Cody turned to Bailey before turning back to Tommy. "Well, we're planning on getting our money from living expenses in Bailey's settlement with Yale. We figured we could do at most $5,000 a month because that would lead to a total of $240,000 for four years. A quarter million is the going rate to settle this..."

Tommy nodded. "So I hear..."

Bailey spoke. "The penthouse is beautiful, but there is no way we could afford $12,500 a month..."

Tommy paused. "What could you do?"

"We just told you, $5,000 is our max and even that is more than we want to spend..."

"What if I waived the amenities fees and the parking fees?"

Cody turned to Bailey. "What do you think?"

Bailey sighed. "I don't know, Cody..."

Tommy sighed. "You two are tough...Well, let me add in the family discount. $3,500 a month..."

"But..."

"Okay, the Skull and Bones discount too, but its the lowest I can go...waive all fees, two free guaranteed parking spaces, Porkers is welcome, and $2,500 a month..."

Bailey and Cody both smiled. "We'll take it!"

Tommy grinned. "Good. It'll be good to have a med student and vet student around. Now, when will you move in?"

"We both have orientation on August 18th and 19th and classes begin on the 20th..."

"How does August 10th sound? Gives you over a week to get settled..."

Cody nods. "That actually works well. Our current lease expires on the 15th. That will give Jo and Bill five days to do what they need to have done before someone else moves in..."

Tommy smiled. "Good. Now, let's go eat! I'm starved..."

The met up with everyone else and let them know an agreement had been reached. Of course, Zack was more convinced than ever that Cody and Bailey had their own leprechaun locked in a cage somewhere. They headed off to a very nice restaurant where Arwin met them. Everyone was under dressed, but Tommy owned the restaurant, so they let is slide.

Tommy agreed to keep in touch, and he promised he would try to have his whole family on the ship for the wedding. After the long day, everyone returned back to the Tipton to relax. Back in their suite, Zack finally got a chance to talk to his brother.

"You found out through the Skulls, didn't you?"

Cody paused. "Maybe..."

Zack nodded. "Is there anything else you know that I should know about?"

"Nope..."

"That place hasn't told you who really killed Kennedy?"

Cody smirked. "If they did, I'm sworn to secrecy. Besides, I don't ask all about your fraternity secrets, do I?"

"Well, no. But..."

"But nothing...Your organization has its secrets, so does mine..."

Zack didn't like that, but he did have to admit that Cody did have a point. As it was pretty late when they got in, everyone headed to bed soon after. As they laid in bed, Cody and Bailey snuggled.

"So, Bails...Think we can turn it into our home?"

Bailey nodded. "I think so. It won't be as nice as its usually decorated, but it will be 100% us. You know, it all kind of reminds me of being back on the ship..."

Cody grinned. "Bails, you know we could fit our entire cabin inside the solarium outside..."

Bailey laughed. "I know, but the idea of having everything in one place that you needed. Plus, the two blocks to school will be nice..."

"I know, and having Boston Common close will be nice..."

"We have a third bedroom now, what should we do with it?"

Cody paused. "Maybe we buy another bedroom suit and have a guest room?"

Bailey nodded. "Good idea. And when we don't have guests, it can be Porkers' room..."

Cody laughed. "He'll love that. And he'll love the rooftop deck. Heck, I'll love the rooftop deck..."

"Me too...And the fireplace..."

"Not to mention the hot tub in the solarium. I'm already having daydreams about it..."

"Me too. Am I crazy to say bring on the next Noreaster?"

"Nah. Plus, I know we will be busy and working hard the next four years. We deserve to have some comforts when we have time to relax..."

Bailey paused. "We will be really busy, won't we?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah, we will..." He leaned down and kissed her. "But I will never be too busy for you..."

"Me either..."

_To be Continued..._


	55. Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014

_Chapter 55_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next few days before New Year's we're pretty laid back...mainly because they had to be. Seems Mother Nature took Bailey's challenge literally, and another Noreaster did in fact hit Boston. But, everyone was alright as the Tipton had everything they needed. The first morning, Cody and Bailey did some online shopping for their guest bedroom furniture. Since the room wouldn't be used all that often, they decided to go with something fairly cheap. And they got a great deal on a set of a queen size bed, nightstand, dresser, and chest. They went with black thinking it would be easier to match bedding for later.

Beyond that, being snowed in, they didn't have much else to do. But, being who they were, Cody and Bailey did spend several hours working on their Biology papers. They figured the more work they did now, the more time they would have to edit later. And if they were lucky, they would have even less to do by the end of the semester. Of course, Zack made fun of them for doing school work over Christmas break.

"Geez...Do you two ever give it a rest?"

Cody rolled his eyes. "Zack, the more we get done now, the less we have to do later. And it will be the last semester of our senior years..."

"Oh please. You two wouldn't know senioritis if it bit you in the butt..."

"You're right, but we do have other things to spend our time on..."

"Like what?"

"Well, we are members of an organization that will be going through a selection process and initiation. We will be planning a move to Boston. Oh yeah, we're getting married in less than six months..."

"All I know, Codes...Is that when we get to Vegas, I'm making you cut loose..."

Bailey just shook her head and laughed. "Zack, what does it matter what Cody and I do? We enjoy what we do, why isn't that good enough?"

"Because you aren't enjoying life!"

Cody smiled. "Says who? I'm doing what I love doing, and I get to spend everyday for the rest of my life with the most beautiful woman in the world. I would say I am most definitely enjoying life..."

Bailey smiled at him. "And that goes double for me..." Bailey paused. "But, Zack does bring up a good point..."

Cody turned to her in confusion. "He does?"

"I meant about the bachelor and bachelorette parties..."

Cody nodded. "Oh yeah..."

"Where's Cassie? We might as well get our rules out of the way."

"Good idea."

Zack headed to his and Cassie's bedroom, and she came out with him. Cody and Bailey were printing off documents from their mobile printer. Once done, they hand them to Zack and Cassie who begin to read them.

"#1. No strip clubs and/or strippers..." Zack sighed. "I already knew that one, but what about Vegas shows with showgirls?"

Bailey paused. "Well...I suppose, but nothing tawdry..."

Cassie continued. "#2. No letting Cody or Bailey doing anything illegal or trying to persuade them to do so..." Cassie nodded. "Fair enough..."

Zack shook his head. "You think I would try to get my own brother arrested?"

Bailey just glared at him. "It wouldn't be you intention..."

"#3. No taking away of Cody's or Bailey's phones because they want to talk to each other."

Zack and Cassie sighed. "As long as you aren't on the phone with each other 24/7. The whole point is one last time away from the other..."

"We know, but that doesn't mean we don't want to talk with the other at all. You know, we do actually enjoy talking to each other..."

"#4. Drinking is fine, but don't let Cody or Bailey drink too much so that it is harmful to their health and well being."

Cassie nodded. "I actually agree with that one..."

Zack sighed. "Awww..."

Cody laughed. "Zack, all we mean is that neither one of us wants to end up in the hospital getting our stomachs pumped..."

"Fine..."

"#5. At all times, one person must remain relatively sober to make sure the bride/groom doesn't do anything stupid. Since you both know Cody and Bailey, you are well aware of what they would consider to be stupid. As the best man/maid of honor, that is your responsibility, but it doesn't always have to be you."

Cassie nodded. "Yet again, probably not a bad idea..."

Zack nodded. "Yeah...I'll make Woody do it..."

"#6. Finally, have a good time..."

Zack and Cassie look at each. "Alright...We've got your rules. And even though you're limiting me, we're going to have a blast, Broseph..."

Cassie nodded. "So will we..."

Bailey paused. "What are we doing for the bachelorette party anyways?"

Cassie grinned. "Its already taken care of...London and I already have a perfect plan in place..."

Bailey gulped. "London? Oh boy..."

Well, after that, Cody and Bailey were able to get back to work. In the few days they had been working and from what they had done before, both felt they were already a third of the way done with their papers. With any luck, they would be finished and have a rough draft to turn in to Professor Wainwright before spring break.

Speaking of spring break, Cody had an idea for their final college spring break. And he did some research on it and found something he thought would be perfect. However, in the back of his mind, he worried that Bailey might not think so. Finally, he decided to speak up.

"Bails?"

"Yeah, Codykins?"

"I wanted to talk to you about spring break..."

Bailey grinned. "Do you have a place picked out for us yet?"

"I think so, but I'm not sure if its something you'll like...I wanted to check with you before I did anything..."

Bailey smiled at him. "Cody, no one in this world knows me better than you. I'm sure whatever it is, I'll love it..."

Cody turned his laptop towards her. "Tell me what you think of this..."

Bailey looked at what was on the screen. "Ohh..."

Cody sighed. "I knew it...You hate it."

Bailey grinned at him again. "I was kidding, Sweetie. Actually, I think it looks perfect. You better go ahead and reserve it before I do..."

"Really?"

"Really..."

Cody smiled at her. "Consider it done."

And Cody did reserve it.

The next day was New Year's Eve. However, with the terrible weather, no one really wanted to venture out in it. So, instead, everyone had dinner at the Tipton restaurant. And they went dancing in the Tipton ballroom. And everyone had a great time.

As it neared closer and closer to midnight, Bailey just smiled as she was wrapped up in Cody's arms on the dance floor. As the night went on, they just danced with each other very slowly.

"Codykins?"

"Yeah, Sweetheart..."

"I love you."

Cody pulled back and smiled at her. "I love you too."

Bailey smiled back. "I don't care what the weather is like outside...I always have fun with you, no matter where we are..."

"I feel the same way. So, does that mean you're having fun on your final New Year's Eve as Bailey Pickett?"

Bailey nodded. "Oh yeah...And I can't wait to celebrate my first one as Bailey Martin next year..."

"I can't wait either..."

Cody and Bailey continued dancing with each other only to be interrupted by the countdown from thirty.

Cody looked into her eyes. "Happy New Years, Bails..."

Bailey looked right back. "Happy New Years, Codykins..."

And with that, they leaned in and kissed again. They didn't care that they had started early. All they knew was that it was now 2014...the year that they both had been waiting for all of their lives.

_To be Continued..._


	56. Back to Campus

_Chapter 56_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

With it officially 2014, Cody and Bailey were finally in the calendar year of their wedding. And it was time to do the final few things to finish up things on their end. A few days earlier, they had called Maria to have invitations sent to Uncle Tommy and his family. And Cody had stopped by Chef Paulo's office and give him some sketches he had made of what he wanted his groom's cake to look like. The final task was heading back to the jewelry store for the fittings for their wedding bands. And once that was completed, Cody and Bailey both slipped to the jeweler what they wanted engraved on the other's rings.

Fortunately, the weather was improving, which was good because Bailey, Cody, Zack and Cassie had to be getting back to school. Zack and Cassie had to help prepare for rush, while Cody and Bailey were thinking they should be getting the dossiers on new candidates for the Skulls soon. So, on Friday, the four of them (and Porkers) headed back west. The SUVs split when Zack and Cassie made their turn off.

"You realize next year, we won't have anywhere to head back to after New Years..."

Bailey nodded. "That's right...except across town maybe..."

Once home, the unloaded the SUV. Before they got too settled back in, they ran to the grocery to get food back in the house. However, when they pulled back in, something was different. There was now a box on their back porch. They unloaded the SUV of the groceries before pulling the box inside. It was actually quite heavy. Once they put their groceries away, they opened the box. Inside, there were thirty individually wrapped thick dossiers.

Cody laughed. "I guess Ty wasn't kidding..."

Bailey nodded. "I guess not..." Bailey picked one up and looked at the cover. She couldn't help but smile. "Look at the one on top..."

Cody looked over her should and smiled. "Ella Wellington..."

"Here's your chance to learn all about your cousin..."

"I guess so. Well, let's get our laundry going and learn all about these people..."

So, the rest of the afternoon and evening, they just read through the dossiers, learning some surprising information along the way. Whoever had chosen the new potential members had certainly picked some good ones. Besides, Ella, there was one other legacy candidate, and his dossier was impressive. They were careful to try to see if anyone had experiences in their past to indicate that they would have Chet like tendencies.

It was Saturday afternoon when they finished reading through them. They set them aside so they could distribute them at their first Bones meeting of the semester the first week of classes. And they thought it best to do what had happened the year before and wait until February to make their first contact with new potential members. However, since Valentine's Day fell on a Friday, they decided a week before would be better so as not to interfere with anyone's plans.

The rest of the weekend was just spent hanging around the apartment getting settled back in to being home. One thing they did do was go ahead and reserve a U-Haul truck for August as well as order several boxes for packing.

On Monday, they had their meeting with the Yale general counsel. He had them wait for a bit, but Cody smiled as he recognized it as a psychological maneuver. He told Bailey to relax that they had all day. However, he decided to do his own ploy. He advised the secretary to let the general counsel know that if they weren't seen soon, they were heading over to their attorney's office to have him file suit immediately. Well, within five minutes, they were in the office sitting down.

"Well, Miss Pickett...I don't see the need for this to go any further. You want to settle. We want to settle. Let's settle then..."

Bailey nodded. "Alright, what's your offer?"

"I thought you two were going to give me a figure..."

Bailey smiled. "We were, but since we are in the position of power, we don't want to short change ourselves..."

The general counsel sighed and wrote down a figure. He handed it to Bailey who showed it to Cody. Cody nodded.

"Well, we have a starting point..."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh please. You know as well as we do that the board of trustees has given you a ceiling to offer, and we all know this isn't it..."

The general counsel smirked. "I thought you were off to med school?"

"I am...Now, why don't you tell us what your ceiling is and maybe we'll play nice..."

The general counsel wrote down a different number and handed it to Bailey. Again she showed it to Cody. It would be well more than what they would need for their rent the next four years.

Bailey whispered to Cody. "Take it!"

Cody nodded and turned back to the general counsel. "This looks good. Now, how are you going to make this sum tax free to us? I assume you learned how to do that in law school..."

The general counsel laughed. "We'll take care of that..."

"Good, once that's done, we'll sign a settlement. But don't take too long. You have until the beginning of February..."

"It'll be done..."

Cody and Bailey left the office, both smiling and trying to keep from laughing. Once well away from the administration building, they both finally did bust out laughing.

"Cody, I thought he was going to soil himself when you asked about his ceiling offer..."

"I know. That'll teach him to underestimate us..."

"Exactly, we aren't your typical college students..."

Cody leaned in and kissed her. "No we aren't..."

"That is well more than we need. Even with utilities..."

Cody nodded. "Yeah, heat, water, sewer and trash are included. All we need to get are electric, wireless internet and cable. We already have our cell phones..."

Bailey paused. "You know, maybe it would be a good idea to put all of this is into a separate account and have our rent and utilities automatically withdrawn from it?"

Cody grinned. "Brilliant idea...That way, we don't have to worry if we accidentally forget to pay anything, and it will all be taken care of..."

"What should we do now?"

"Why don't we call Max and Tapeworm and see if they want to go buy books and hang out afterwards. After all, we do have something to discuss with them..."

And that's what they did. Max and Tapeworm were back in town and game. They went shopping for books, and for the second straight semester, Cody and Bailey were able to fit all of their books, notebooks and supplies into to two not so heavy bags. Once done, they all came back to Cody and Bailey's apartment for dinner. As they sat around the table, they talked.

"So, sounds like your new place in Boston will be great..."

Bailey smiled. "And you two have a standing invitation to visit anytime you want..."

Max smiled. "Thanks. So, are you guys going to miss this place?"

"Yeah, we will. It was our first real home together. We've got a lot of good memories here. I hope the next tenants will appreciate it..."

"They'd be fools not to..."

Bailey grinned. "I was hoping you would say that. How would you two like to be the next tenants?"

Tapeworm was surprised. "Are you serious?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah. Jo and Bill asked if we knew of anyone we thought might want to take over the place. Immediately, we thought of you two. If you aren't interested though, its cool..."

Max shook her head. "No...We're interested. It just..."

Tapeworm finished. "We haven't technically lived together before..."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "That's not what I hear..."

Max turned to Tapeworm. "What have you been telling people?"

He glared at Cody. "Nothing...nothing bad anyways..."

Cody laughed. "Its no big deal. Living with the woman you love can be pretty great."

Max sighed. "Can we think about it?"

Bailey nodded. "Of course. Let me give you Jo and Bill's number. Call them if you are interested..."

"We will..."

Cody grinned. "Now, there is something else we need to discuss with you two..."

"What's that?"

"Tapeworm, do you remember the conversation we had on Halloween?"

Tapeworm paused. "Yeah..."

"Why didn't you tell me you were a legacy?"

Max was confused. "A legacy of what?"

Bailey smiled. "Of Skull & Bones...You both are among our candidates for membership this semester..."

_To be Continued..._


	57. Cody's Cousin

_Chapter 57_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Max just sat there confused. She looked around the table at the people she thought she knew. Cody and Bailey were smiling at her. She turned to her boyfriend, and for the first time noticed he was rubbing her back. He was smiling at her too, but it was a sympathetic one.

"Will someone please explain to me what is going on here?"

Bailey kept smiling at her. "Cody and I are Skulls, and we just told you and Tapeworm that you were candidates for membership."

"But...but..." She turned to Tapeworm. "And you're a legacy?"

Tapeworm nodded. "Yeah. My grandfather was one. Right before he died, he told me he had been a member. And the Halloween party last semester. That was a Skulls party. I figured that out, and Cody in a round about way confirmed it for me..."

Max turned back to Cody and Bailey. "But the Skulls are supposed to be elitist, arrogant jerks!"

Cody laughed. "Gee, Max...Thanks. And I thought we were friends..."

Max shook her head again. "We are, but you two are nothing like that!"

Bailey smiled. "We certainly hope we're not. But, Max, we learned first hand that our preconceived notions were incorrect..."

Max just sat there trying to take everything in while Tapeworm took the time to address Cody and Bailey. "So, this is for real? We're actually candidates?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah..."

"But I thought you said you had no say in things..."

"We didn't. But you both were selected..."

Max finally spoke again. "So, what does this mean?"

"It means you two are being considered for membership. Beyond that, there is nothing else we can say..."

Tapeworm nodded in understanding. "So, what comes next?"

"At some point, there will be a gathering for you to meet the current members as well as the other perspective candidates..."

Max paused. "When will that be?"

Cody and Bailey turned to each other. "Ummm...Well, we don't know exactly, but probably late February. Actually, we weren't going to let anyone know until the week before Valentine's Day, but since you guys are our friends, we went ahead and told you..."

Bailey turned to Max. "Trust me. I know you have a million questions going through your head right now. So did we. We'll try to answer anything we can, but there are somethings we can't. The one thing is you can't tell anyone we told you about this. The Skulls like to keep the identity of their prospective members as secret as possible. Now, you two have the same benefit we did. You have each other to talk to about this..."

Max nodded. "Wow...school hasn't even started yet and already you guys are making me think way too much..."

Cody nodded. "We know. But I hope you both know that Bailey and I would never lead either of you astray..."

Max sighed. "Yeah, I know. You two aren't like that..." She paused and begin to laugh. "Of course, its not like when we were younger when I could beat you up if you did..."

Everyone laughed at that. Max and Tapeworm both agreed to think about everything Cody and Bailey had said that night. Bailey gave them Jo and Bill's number, and she told them not to hesitate to call if either had any questions about anything.

With a full week ahead of them with nothing on their schedules, both continued working on their Biology papers. The quicker they were done, the quicker they could get them back for edits. And if they were good as is, the rest of their final semesters would be a breeze. However, it was on Thursday afternoon as they were working that they heard their front doorbell ring. Bailey got up to answer it and found herself face to face with Ella Wellington.

"Please, come in..."

Ella nodded. "You're Bailey, right?"

"Yeah, that's me..."

"Is Cody...is my cousin here?"

Bailey smiled. "Yeah...I'll go get him..." Bailey disappeared down the hallway and returned with Cody in tow. Cody saw his cousin and smiled.

"Nice to finally get to meet you, Ella. I've been looking forward to doing so since I found out that we were cousins..."

Ella nodded again. "Yeah, so I hear...Ty and Beth told me you both were good people. I hope you'll excuse me, but I had this bomb dropped on me over Christmas..."

Cody nodded. "We understand. It knocked us for a loop too when we found out as well. But I really looking forward to getting to know my Great Uncle Tommy...err...Ben...ummm..."

Ella laughed. "I know what you mean. So, I guess you are the best source I have to learn about this whole new family I have..."

"I would be happy to. If you would like to have a seat, Bailey and I can fill you in on everything you want to know. Can we get you something to drink?"

Ella shook her head. "No thank you..." Just then, she felt something brush by her leg. She looked down and saw Porkers and jumped back in alarm.

Bailey smiled. "Don't mind Porkers...He's all oink and no action..." Porkers oinked at her in defiance.

"You have a pet pig?"

"Sure do. Porkers is one of a kind. Now, let's all sit and we'll tell you all about our family..."

Ella nodded. "Alright. You already call it your family too?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, I won't officially be until June 26th, but everyone already treats me as one of the family..."

Cody and Bailey proceed to tell Ella all about Ellie, Uncle Mitch, Amy, Michelle, Katie, Zoey, Carey, Karen, and Zack.

"So, twins run in the family?"

"Pretty heavily from what we understand...At least three sets that we know of..."

Ella sighed. "This is all just so crazy..."

Cody nodded. "I know, but we really aren't that bad of a bunch..."

Bailey smiled. "He's right. I mean, I can't wait to call them my family too. They all can be a little stubborn and hardheaded, but we understand you share that trait too..."

Ella laughed. "Yeah, Dad told me he told you that..."

Cody smiled too. "We know Ty is across the country now, but we're family. So, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call us. Family is something we both value highly..."

Ella nodded. "Thanks. I also understand you two are leading the Skulls this year..."

Cody paused. "And how do you know that?"

Ella grinned. "I was told all of the family secrets..."

Bailey laughed. "Fair enough...Well, we should let you know you are a legacy and one of our candidates for membership this year..."

"What does all of that mean?"

Cody and Bailey proceed to have pretty much the same conversation they had with Ella that they did with Max and Tapeworm. They answered what they could, and they told her they would keep her updated on everything else.

"I appreciate you two taking the time to talk to me. I understand you both must be incredibly busy going into your final semester..."

Cody shrugged. "Not really. We are close to finishing our Biology senior projects. Once we do, we will only have three classes and two of those are gut classes."

"Which ones?"

"Movies for Morons and Baseball and American Society..."

"Hey! I'm in that Baseball class. Are you guys big baseball fans?"

Cody smiled. "We sure are. I successfully converted Bailey to the Red Sox Nation..."

Ella laughed. "I'm a Yankees fan..."

Cody's smile faded. "Oh no! Cousins don't let cousins be Yankee fans!"

Bailey rolled her eyes and laughed. "Ignore my fiance. He can be the most rational person in the world, but when it comes to his Sox..."

Ella grinned. "Oh, this is going to be fun!"

Cody just sat there shaking his head trying to deal with the fact that his cousin was a Yankees fan.

Ella smiled. "Well, I appreciate you both taking the time in talking to me..."

Cody sighed. "You may be a Yankee fan, but you are still family..."

Ella laughed. "Yes, I am. I look forward to seeing more of you guys."

Bailey smiled. "You're welcome anytime. If you ever are in need of a good home cooked meal, come on over. Cody is a wonderful cook..."

"I just might."

Porkers oinked. "And it looks like Porkers has taken a shine to you as well..."

Ella grinned and rubbed Porker's ears. "You know, he is sort of cute..."

Ella finally left, and Cody and Bailey returned back to their papers. By Sunday afternoon, both thought they were two thirds of the way done with them. They took the rest of Sunday off to just hang out. After all, tomorrow was the first day of school. They were about to begin their final semester of college.

_To be Continued..._


	58. On the Other Side

_Chapter 58_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Finally, the next week arrived and brought with it the first day of classes. Well, for most students. All Cody and Bailey had was perfunctory meeting with Professor Wainwright. He was pleased with their progress on part two of their papers and told them to keep up the good work. The rest of the day was more time spent working on them.

Tuesday brought their first actual classes of the semester. It was syllabus day, so they only spent a few minutes in Bill's class before moving on. Instead of heading back to their apartment before their 11:00 class, they headed over to the Tomb to take care of a few things before their first meeting on Thursday. After a while, they finished up and headed back over to their baseball class. They sat with Ella and got their syllabi. The class seemed interesting, and one of their homework assignments for the semester was to watch the Ken Burn's baseball documentary. Cody and Bailey invited Ella to join them in doing so. After class, they went for an early lunch with Ella before they had to head home and get ready for work.

Wednesday brought with it Movies for Morons. Professor Shaw was blunt with them. While it was syllabus day, they actually had to begin class as they only met once a week. But, he did give everyone 20 minutes to go get snacks and be back. And once they did, he proceeded to put in the movie _American Graffiti. _The watched the whole movie and were told to have a movie review written up for it for the next class.

Thursday was a repeat of Tuesday except they had the first Skulls meeting that night. Cody and Bailey had lugged all of the dossiers over with them. They told everyone to spend the next couple of weeks reading over them and getting to know the new potential members. After that, they all ate the catered meal and caught everyone up on how everyone's Christmas break went.

Friday was a repeat of Monday in that they did their homework and continued to work on their papers. As they were working, Cody looked up.

"Hey, Bails?"

Bailey looked up. "Yeah?"

Cody smiled. "I hope you don't mind, but I already reserved our cabin in Vermont for Valentine's weekend..."

Bailey smiled back. "I don't mind one bit..."

"Good. I was thinking that since we don't have classes on Friday, we could head up early this year."

"Smart thinking, Codykins..."

And with that, both went back to working on their papers. Their self-imposed timelines were pushed up. Instead of spring break, both thought they would have drafts done by Valentine's Day.

The first few weeks of classes went by with ease. By the week before Valentine's Day weekend, the Skulls had divided up the new candidates so that each was responsible to let two apiece know of their candidacies. Cody had been assigned Tapeworm and another guy while Bailey had been assigned Max and Ella. So, while Bailey's job of notification was already done, she went with Cody to let his other person know.

On that Friday afternoon, Cody and Bailey found themselves knocking on an apartment door. A young man eventually opened it.

"Brent Robinson?"

The young man nodded. "Yeah, that's me..."

"I'm Cody Martin, and this is my fiancee, Bailey Pickett. May we have a moment of your time?"

Brent nodded. "Sure, please come in. Please excuse the mess."

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, its nice to meet you, Mr. Robinson..."

Cody nodded. "It is. And if we may say, you have an impressive resume..."

Brent looked at them questioningly. "I do?"

"Of course, Captain of the Yale crew team, a 3.9 GPA, an honors student from Wallace Academy, the son of Miller Robinson, the CEO of one of the nation's largest publishing companies, and from what we know, an all around good guy. Saving that dog from the river was very brave..."

Brent was now in shock. Cody and Bailey had to keep from laughing. "How do you know all of this about me?"

Cody grinned. "We have our ways..."

"Who is we?"

"Skull and Bones. Its our honor to let you know that you have been selected as a candidate to join us..."

"But...but..."

Bailey smiled. "Calm down, its alright. Whatever stories you've heard about us are more than likely pure fiction..."

"Why me though?"

Cody chuckled. "I think we just explained that. I hope you will give us a chance and get to know us. Well, I think we have taken enough of your time today..." And with that, Cody and Bailey stand up.

Brent was really confused. "Wait! That's it?"

Bailey grinned. "We'll be in touch...And by the way, mention to no one that we were here..."

With that, Cody and Bailey walked out the door and closed it behind them. Both were trying their hardest to keep from laughing, but once they got back to the SUV, they couldn't help it any longer.

"Okay, it was a lot more fun being on this end of it..."

"I know...Cody, do you think we had that same look of panic and fear on our faces last year?"

"Probably..."

"Well, we had to stew in confusion for a whole semester, they can too..."

Cody grinned. "I know..." He paused. "Are we having way too much fun with this?"

Bailey paused. "Probably...But when else are we ever going to do this again?"

"True..."

Bailey grinned. "Besides, this time next week, we'll be having a different kind of fun..."

"You bet we will!"

The next week flew by. On Wednesday afternoon, Cody and Bailey put the finishing touches on their Biology papers. They saved their files and then had the other read them over. Both were impressed with the other's work and told the other so. Then, they combined the two sections of the papers as well as the bibliographies and saved them too. They emailed them to Professor Wainwright knowing there was nothing more for them to do until he got back to them. On Thursday, they went to class and work and came home to get ready to head out the next day for Vermont again. They called ahead to see when they could get into their cabin and were told whenever they got there. So, double checking with Jo to make sure she would feed Porkers, they were ready to go.

On Friday morning, Cody was loading the SUV while Bailey was taking care of last minute details inside. She was about to head outside to join Cody when the doorbell rang. Going over to answer it, she found a delivery man there. In his hand was the most beautiful bouquet of pink roses, pink carnations, lavender roses and lavender azaleas.

"Bailey Pickett?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, that's me..."

"These are for you...Have a good day." The guy handed the flowers to Bailey, and he turned around and left.

Bailey leaned in to smell them and smiled at the pleasant fragrance. She also noted a card was attached. Setting the flowers down, she opened and read the card.

_My Dearest Bailey,_

_Happy Valentine's Day to the woman who captured my heart oh so many years ago. I can't wait for the day when you will carry a bouquet similar to this one. When I see you walking down that aisle towards me, my fondest wish will finally come true. Please be my Valentine._

_All my love always and forever,_

_Cody_

Bailey smiled again and looked up to see Cody watching her.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Sweetheart..."

Bailey set the card down too and immediately threw herself into Cody's arms.

"Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Codykins. The flowers are absolutely beautiful..."

Cody smiled. "Second most beautiful thing in this room..."

From behind them, they heard an oink.

Cody laughed. "Sorry, Porkers...I was talking about Bailey."

Bailey laughed too. "It's okay, Porkers. I still think you're handsome..." She smiled and whispered into Cody's ear. "Just nowhere near as handsome and sexy as you are...I love you."

"I love you too. Now...what say we get this show on the road?"

"Let's go! I can't wait to get there. That hot tub is already calling our names..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: As an unabashed Reds' hater, was there anything more satisfying then watching them get no hit last night? All the Reds fans around here sure have shut up today lol. A few still retort with 1908, but I can smile and say at least we never got no hit in the playoffs.**_  
_


	59. A Little Time Alone

_Chapter 59_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

By 10 AM, they were on the road to Vermont. Both were so excited to get there that they drove straight through without stopping for lunch. Of course, by the time they got there, both of their stomachs were growling. So, they picked at what was left from the lunch spread before heading to their cabin. And it looked like that got their just in time. As soon as they pulled up to their cabin, it began to snow hard.

Bailey smiled. "The snow is a lot more beautiful when you don't have to drive in it..."

Cody laughed. "You're telling me. Though, watching the snow fall from our back porch sounds like fun..."

"It sure does...Lets get inside and settled and then start this weekend right."

And that's just what they did. Once settled in, Bailey went to grab the robes as Cody stepped outside to get the hot tub running. Fifteen minutes later, they were both lounging in the tub, with nothing between them and the water, just watching the snow fall.

"Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"Will we still have the time to get away like this next year?"

Cody paused. "Bailey, to be honest, I don't know. I'd like to think we will, but if not, I'm sure we will still be able to celebrate Valentine's Day..."

Bailey turned and looked back at him. "You think so?"

Cody smiled. "All else fails, we will have one of these in our apartment plus a fireplace..."

Bailey smiled too. "That's true..."

"Besides, I like celebrating days designed to show you how much I love you..."

"Yeah, which days are your favorites? Valentine's, our Anniversary?"

Cody grinned. "I was thinking more like Mondays, Thursdays, Tuesdays, Saturdays..."

Bailey giggled. "If we did that, would we have time for anything else?"

"Bails, if we did that, do you think I would want time for anything else?"

Bailey leaned in and kissed him. "I hope you know just how much I love you..."

"Hopefully as much as I love you..."

Bailey smiled. "Pretty sure I love you more..."

Cody shook his head. "Not possible..."

"You think so, huh?"

"I know so. Bails, if I had been asked before I went on the S.S. Tipton to design the perfect woman for me, she would still pale in comparison to you..."

"I know what you mean. That's why you will never ever get rid of me..."

Cody leaned in and kissed her. "Bails, I would never want to get rid of you. The lyrics to the song are true...I'm in Love...I'm a believer...I couldn't leave you if I tried..."

Bailey grinned. "So, you saw my face and you were a believer?"

"Exactly...When I saw you were a girl that day, something inside me told me right then and there...that's the girl you're going to marry. So yes, I saw your face and I was a believer..."

"I believe too, Cody...I believe I was lead to the S.S. Tipton to meet you..."

"Well, Baby...You have me."

Bailey grinned. "Not yet I don't..."

Bailey leaned in and kissed Cody again, sliding on to his lap. "Now I have you!"

"What are you going to do with me?"

Bailey grinned. "This!" With that, she went in for an even deeper, more passionate kiss that neither were about to pull apart from.

A few hours later, both were changed again, ready to head back to the main house for dinner. Again, they got a table in the a secluded corner and enjoyed a candlelight dinner. Like they were known to do, they fed each other and split a dessert. Other couples in the dining room could only smile as they watched them. And Cody and Bailey's show encouraged others to fully show their partners how they felt about them.

After dinner, they returned to their cabin to spend the rest of the nigh in front of the fire place. Both just relaxed and cuddled closer and closer together. In both of their minds, there was nowhere else in the world they wanted to be.

The next morning, they woke up and dressed for breakfast. And to their surprise, they ground outside was blanketed from the snow fall the day before. Thankful for four wheel drive, they made their way up for breakfast. Just in case, they grabbed some extra food to take back to the cabin with them. When they did get back, Bailey turned to Cody.

"How about we do something we haven't done in a while?"

Cody grinned. "Haven't done in a while. I know what that eliminates..."

Bailey just shook her head and laughed at him. "No, not that. I was thinking about making a snowman. Last time we did that was when Max and Tapeworm stayed with us..."

Cody nodded. "Sure, sounds like fun. Thinking of Snow Moseby 2?"

"I was thinking we could show our future school spirit and make a Snow Jumbo..."

Cody paused. "Hmmm...Something tells me the trunk could be tricky..."

Bailey smiled. "Are you saying you don't think we can do it?"

"Of course not! I'm just saying it will take us being creative..."

"Oh, I think we showed yesterday how creative we can be..."

Cody just laughed. "That we did. Alright, Bails...Lets layer up and head outside..."

A few hours later, Cody and Bailey had made the best Jumbo the Elephant they could out of snow. Of course, they got distracted by an impromptu snow ball fight when Bailey nailed Cody in the back as he was trying to fashion the trunk. Soon, Jumbo was forgotten. Both were laughing hard as they continued to lob snowballs at each other. However, soon, snowballs were discarded and Bailey tried to tackle Cody into a snowbank. Cody was just a little too quick and turned the tables on her. Soon, Bailey found herself lying in the snowbank with Cody pinning her down.

Cody grinned. "Now I have you!"

"You going to pillage and plunder me again?"

"I'm thinking about it..."

"What else are you thinking of doing?"

"This..." Cody leaned down and kissed Bailey.

"Mmmm...I like your thinking..."

"I think we should head inside and warm up and dry off..."

"And then what?"

Cody grinned. "I'm sure we'll think of a few things..."

Thirty minutes later, they were both back in front of the fire, intertwined with each other.

"Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"We get to do this every day next winter..."

Cody smiled. "I know..."

Bailey sighed. "I love coming here...It so peaceful and relaxing..."

"Yeah, it is...Tell you what, before we leave tomorrow, we'll go ahead and make our reservation for next year."

Bailey turned to face Cody. "Really?"

"Of course..."

Bailey smiled. "I'd love that..."

"Who knows, maybe someday we'll be able to afford to buy our own cabin on a lake we can get away to when we want to..."

"I hope so..."

The rest of the day, they never left the cabin. When they go hungry, they just ate what they had brought back with them or what was in the refrigerator. And when they finally got tired, they retired to the four poster bed.

However, when Cody woke up, something wasn't right. When he turned to look at Bailey, she was really pale and shivering.

Cody was concerned. "Bails? Are you alright?"

Bailey answered very weakly. "Cody, I don't feel sooo good..."

Cody immediately put his hand on Bailey's forehead and she was burning up. "Alright, you have a fever...Are you hot or cold?"

"Both...its been alternating for the last several hours..."

"Okay. I'm going to pack everything and load it up, then I'm getting you to the nearest hospital!"

_To be Continued..._


	60. Paging Dr Martin

_Chapter 60_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Once Cody made sure Bailey was as comfortable as possible, he quickly packed all of their bags and took them out to the SUV. Once he made sure everything was taken care of, he reclined the passenger seat as much as he could. Returning back inside the cabin, he, as carefully as he could, carried Bailey out to the SUV and again got her as comfortable as he could. From there he headed back to the main building. Quickly, he returned the keys and asked where the nearest hospital was. The woman behind the desk told him the nearest hospital was forty miles, but that there was an urgent treatment center in town about five miles up the road.

Cody proceeded to get Bailey to the urgent treatment center and carried her inside. While they waited, he just held her in his lap and tried to comfort her as best as he could.

Bailey spoke weakly. "Cody?"

"Yeah, Sweetheart?"

"I'm sorry I ruined Valentine's Day..."

Cody leaned in and kissed her forehead. "You did no such thing. The only way Valentine's Day would have been ruined is if I wasn't with you..."

"I don't feel so good, Cody..."

Cody gently rocked her. "I know, Sweetie, but the doctor is going to see you soon. And he will help you feel better."

"I hope so..."

"And I'm going to be here to take care of you too..."

"Good...I trust you, Cody..."

Finally, Bailey's name was called, and Cody carried her back to the exam room and laid her down on the exam table. The doctor came in, and Cody explained Bailey's symptoms. The doctor nodded and examined Bailey himself. He ran some tests and said he would get back to them as soon as he could. Cody continued holding Bailey and trying to comfort her.

After about 45 minutes, the doctor returned to the exam room. Cody looked up.

"Have you found anything?"

The doctor nodded. "Yeah, but no need to worry. Miss Pickett just has a strong case of the flu..."

Cody sighed with relief. "Thank goodness..."

"I'll prescribe some medication for her, but she needs to be kept hydrated and get as much as rest as possible..."

Cody nodded. "We have about a four hour ride home, will the medication knock her out?"

The doctor nodded back. "Yeah. There are two prescriptions, but they are similar to DayQuil and NyQuil in effect..."

"I'll make sure she takes them and gets her rest..."

Cody stayed with Bailey, and the prescriptions were brought in. Bailey was given a dosage immediately. Once he settled the insurance information, Cody carried Bailey back out to the SUV. He situated her in the back seat so she could rest. He used a couple of sweatshirts to make a makeshift pillow for her and grabbed the blanket from their safety kit in the back.

Bailey opened her eyes. "Cody?"

Cody smiled at her. "Yeah, Bails?"

"Where am I?"

"You're in the backseat of the SUV. I'm trying to get you comfortable. Are you?"

Bailey sighed. "I'm okay..."

"Do you feel sleepy?"

"Yeah, and my body aches all over..."

"I know, Sweetie. I want you to try to get some sleep and I will drive us home..."

"Okay..."

"And Bails, if you need anything, you just holler out what you need and I will get if for you..."

Bailey gave him a weak smile. "I'm glad you're going to be a doctor. I know you'll take good care of me..."

"You bet I will...I'm going to stay right here until you fall asleep..."

"Okay...I love you."

"I love you too, Bails...so much."

Eventually, Bailey did fall asleep. Once Cody made sure she was covered by the blanket, he hopped into the driver's seat and began driving them home. The whole way, he kept the radio low in case Bailey woke up and needed something. Hearing slight snores coming from the back seat caused him to smile and chuckle. He didn't care. He would never get tired of that sound.

Fortunately, Bailey slept the entire drive home, and Cody finally pulled in behind their apartment. He got out and unlocked and propped open the back door. As carefully as he could, he extracted Bailey from the back seat and carried her inside. He laid her down on the bed and covered her up. And to his relief, she didn't wake up. Quickly, he unpacked the car and began a load of laundry. Then he just returned to their bedroom to watch over her. About an hour later, about 4 PM, Bailey finally did wake up.

"Cody?"

"I'm right here."

"We're home?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah, we are. How are you feeling, Honey?"

"I'm still sore all over and I'm all stuffed up and my throat hurts..."

"Well, its time for more medicine, let me get it for you..."

Cody quickly ran into the bathroom to get the medication. But when he got back to the bedroom, Bailey was trying to get out of bed.

"Bails..."

"Cody, get me to the bathroom..."

Cody helped walk her in there and Bailey dropped to her knees in front of the toilet. All Cody could do was hold her hair back as Bailey emptied the contents of her stomach. Cody waited till she was done and helped her sit back against the wall and sat next to her. He pulled her close to him so she could lean on him.

"Better now?"

Bailiey nodded. "I think so..."

"Let me get you back to bed then. First though, Cody grabbed the medication and made sure Bailey got it down without throwing it back up. Cody helped her to her feet and got her back to bed. He checked her forehead, and she was still burning up. He drenched a washcloth in cold water and put it over her forehead.

Bailey groaned. "Much better..."

"Bails, if I get you some orange juice, do you think you can keep it down?"

"I'll try..."

Cody went to pour her a glass of orange juice with a straw. He helped her sit up so she could sip on it. And to Cody's relief, she drank about two thirds of it. After that, he helped her lay back down.

"Cody?"

Cody smiled. "Yeah?"

"Thank you for taking care of me. I'm glad you're going to be my doctor..."

Cody leaned down to kiss her forehead. "You are very welcome. I know you would do the same for me..."

"But I'm going to be a vet..."

Cody grinned. "Well, you did tell London once I was like a dog to you..."

Bailey gave a weak laugh. "Oh yeah..."

"Why don't you try to get some more rest, and later, we'll see if you are up for some soup."

"Okay. I love you, Cody..."

"Love you too..."

Bailey did finally fall back to sleep. Cody pulled a chair over to the bed and propped his feet up on the bed. He turned on their bedroom TV. He didn't want to let Bailey out of his sight. So, for the next several hours, he just kept watch over her. Eventually, about 8:00, Bailey finally woke back up.

Cody smiled. "There are those beautiful brown eyes. How are you feeling?"

"No longer like I've been hit by a truck...maybe just a car now..."

"That's improvement. Think you can stomach some soup?"

"Yeah..."

"Some chicken noodle?"

Bailey smiled. "Yeah...My mom used to give me chicken noodle when I was sick..."

"Well, you lay there and rest, and I'll go fix you some..."

Cody make her some soup, and Bailey was able to eat half a bowl before she could eat no more. Bailey was intent to stay awake this time. She waited patiently as Cody went to clean up the kitchen. When he returned, he laid in bed next to her as she laid her head on his chest. For a while, they just laid there and watched TV. Finally, Cody noticed it was about 11:00.

"Bails, time for more medicine..."

"The sleepy kind?"

"Uh huh. While your body is sleeping, the medication will be fighting that nasty flu..."

Bailey sighed. "Okay..."

Cody gave her the medicine, and almost immediately, Bailey began to yawn.

"Cody, stay here with me..."

"Bails, no where else I want to be..."

Cody pulled her into his arms, and soon, Bailey was asleep again.

_To be Continued..._


	61. From the Frying Pan to the Fire

_Chapter 61_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next morning, Cody woke up and noticed Bailey was still asleep. He was glad that they had no classes of Mondays and that their papers were already done. He quickly got up to get Bailey's medicine and more orange juice for her. Returning back to their bedroom, he sat the juice on the table and just sat back to watch her sleep. After a little bit, Bailey finally opened her eyes.

Cody grinned. "Good morning, beautiful..."

Bailey gave him a weak smile. "I bet I don't look too beautiful right now. I'm sick and haven't showered in two days..."

Cody leaned down to kiss her forehead. "You will always be beautiful to me. Now, how do you feel this morning?"

"Better..." Bailey began coughing. "Well, relatively better...I think we can downgrade it to a scooter or a bike now..."

Cody smiled. "Well, we have the day off, so I want you to keep getting your rest."

"Yes, Dr. Martin..."

Cody laughed. "You are feeling better. Alright, time for more medicine and more juice."

Cody proceeded to give her more medicine, and this time, Bailey actually drank the full glass of juice.

"Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"Can I at least take a shower and put on clean clothes?"

Cody nodded. "Of course. Do you still feel weak and hurt all over?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, not as bad as I was though..."

"Well, I'm going to help you. I want you to preserve as much energy as possible..."

Bailey smiled. "Oh yeah?"

Cody laughed. "Take it easy, I know you aren't up for that..."

Bailey sighed. "You're probably right..."

Cody helped her stand up. "But the moment you are..."

"I'm going to hold you to that..."

Cody undressed himself before helping Bailey undress. Once inside the shower, he bathed her so she wouldn't get tired out or get dizzy and potentially fall. Once he had her lathered and shampoo, he quickly did the same to himself. Using detachable shower head, he quickly rinsed them both off. Turning the shower off, he dried Bailey off and had her sit on the toilet wrapped in her towel. Again, quickly, he dried himself off before heading into their bedroom to get the both some clean underwear. They put those on, but Bailey decided against wearing a bra. Cody lead her into the bedroom where he helped her put on a t-shirt and clean pajama pants before helping her back in bed. Then, he put on clean clothes himself.

"What am I supposed to do now, Cody?"

"Rest."

"I feel worn out, but I'm not sleepy..."

"Then just lay back, and we'll watch some daytime TV..."

Bailey laughed. "We tried that during the Noreaster...It didn't work."

Cody nodded. "Oh yeah...Well, we'll watch a movie if you're up for it..."

"Which one?"

"Your choice, Sweetie..."

"Can we watch the Lion King?"

Cody smiled. "Of course..."

Cody put the DVD in and climbed into bed with Bailey. Again, she snuggled up close to him as they began watching the movie. Of course, not halfway through it, Bailey fell asleep again. Since she needed her rest, Cody didn't even bother waking her up. He finished the movie himself and switched over to regular TV when it was done. Cody couldn't really move or go anywhere as Bailey was asleep on his shoulder again.

Around lunch time, Bailey woke up again, and she was insistent she felt better enough to eat in the kitchen. Cody was wary, but he had learned from her broken ankle to let Bailey do what she can. So, again he made more soup for her and she ate more than she did the day before. After lunch, Bailey wanted to move to the couch, but Cody said she had to continue laying down. Bailey reluctantly agreed.

"You know, Cody, I do plan on going to class tomorrow..."

Cody paused. "I don't know, Bails..."

"Cody, I didn't let that jerk professor make me miss a class, so I'm not going to let the flu do so..."

Cody paused to think. "How about I make you a deal then? We'll see how you feel in the morning. If you still think you are up for it, we'll give it a try. But...we're both going to call in sick to work tomorrow..."

"But Cody..."

"Bails, you have the flu. There are sick animals there, do you want them to catch it from you?"

Bailey frowned. "Well, no...but you can still go to work..."

Cody shook his head. "Nope. I'm taking care of you. You said you knew I would take good care of you, and that's what I'm going to do..."

Bailey sighed. "Fine..." She paused. "Am I being a bad patient again?"

Cody smiled. "Not at all...A stubborn one, yes..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "But you love it when I'm stubborn..."

"You know I do."

The rest of the day, Bailey continued to rest, take her medicine and eat more and more. By Tuesday morning, Bailey decided she was feeling much better and said she was going to class. Cody agreed, and off to class they went. However, the two classes that day completely wore Bailey out. By the time they got home, she crashed on the couch. Cody had suspected as much and called them both in sick between classes.

By Wednesday, Bailey felt she was back to eighty percent. And she was able to sit through Movies for Morons without falling asleep. But again, she immediately took a nap when they got home from class. Thursday, she felt even better. So much so, she told Cody she was going back to work.

"Cody, I'm going to work today."

"Are you sure you're up for it?"

"Yeah, I feel a thousand times better than I did Sunday..."

Cody nodded. "Alright, but promise me if you start to feel sick again, you will sit down and get some rest. And then call me, and I will come and pick you up."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Fine..."

Cody smiled. "I love you too..."

Bailey paused and sighed. "I'm sorry. I know you are just trying to take care of me. And I really do appreciate everything you've done for me. I don't mean to be a pain in the butt..."

"Bails, you are never a pain in the butt..."

Bailey smiled. "We both know better than that. I'm just really glad I have you to take care of me and put up with my stubbornness...And yes, I do love you."

"I know. Alright, let's go to work..."

And go to work they did. Bailey was able to make it all the way through with no problems. But again, she was worn out when they got home. That night was supposed to be their Skulls meeting, but Cody wasn't sure they were going to be able to make it. So, as Bailey slept on the couch, Cody called a fellow Bonesman and explained the situation. He told Cody not to worry about it and to make sure Bailey got better.

Cody was happy they had no classes on Friday, so they would have a long weekend for Bailey to continue getting better. And, to her credit, Bailey tried harder to be a better patient. She really was grateful for everything that Cody had done for her. And the way he had taken care of her and tended to her every need just made her love him all the more.

Come Monday, Bailey was feeling almost one hundred percent again. She was glad the illness was passed because she didn't want to have to go through it again. She was ready to get back to the last semester of her senior year. And besides, the next weekend was the big Skulls soiree for new members. She wanted to be on top of her game for that.

On Tuesday, Cody and Bailey went to class again and to work. Afterwards, they came home and wrote their reviews for _American Pie_, which they had watched in class the week before. Once done, they just lounged around and watched some TV. Bailey decided to make them some popcorn, so she went to the kitchen to do so.

As it was popping, Bailey happened to notice the calendar hanging on the wall. For some reason, something seemed odd to her but she couldn't put her finger on it. And then it hit her. As if in a stupor, Bailey walked back into the living room.

In almost a whisper, Bailey spoke. "Cody?"

Cody looked up. "Yeah, Bails?"

"I'm late..."

Cody was confused. "Late? Are you supposed to be somewhere tonight?"

Bailey shook her head. "No...Cody, I'm _late_..."

_To be Continued..._


	62. Passing the Test?

_Chapter 62_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody's eyes just went wide and he began to stammer. "Late...as in..." He swallowed. "Late?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah..."

Cody just shook his head. "But that's impossible! Its only..." He checked his watch. "...the 25th..." Cody paused to think and then frowned. "You are a week late..."

"That's what I said..." Bailey paused in realization. "Wait. You know my monthly schedule?"

Cody nodded absentmindedly. "Of course. We've lived together for four years. I was even pretty sure of it beforehand..."

Bailey just looked at Cody. "Why would you know it?"

"Bails, I know everything about you by now, but that's not important right now..."

Bailey nodded. "Right...Back to our original problem. Cody, I'm late..."

Cody paused to think more. "Maybe...maybe your illness has thrown your system off?"

"You think so?"

"Its possible..."

Bailey paused to think. "Yeah, I guess so. Only one way to find out though..."

Cody nodded. "Yeah, I guess so...Let me grab my jacket, and I'll run down to the 7-11..."

"Do you know what you're looking for?"

"Well, it will be my first time buying one, but I'm pretty sure..."

And with that, both looked at each other and had to laugh a little.

Cody smiled. "Bails, I'm sure it was just your illness. I mean, you're on birth control afterall..."

Bailey smiled back. "You're right...And its 99% effective..."

"Exactly..." Cody walked over and grabbed his coat. "You'll see, we're worried over nothing."

"Yeah...Sorry for getting kind of freaked out..."

Cody leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Bails, I'd be concerned if you hadn't freaked out..."

"Good point..."

"I'll be right back, Sweetie..."

Cody headed down to the 7-11. He began walking around the aisles trying to find what he was looking for. Finally, he found the aisle with feminine products and began to search for what he was there to find.

"Don't tell me Bailey already has you buying these for her now?"

Cody looked up and saw Bill standing there grinning at him.

"Ummm, yeah..."

Bill laughed. "You're going to fit into married life just fine..."

Cody nodded. "I hope so..."

"Well, let me give you a little piece of advice I've picked up. Find out her favorite brand, buy it wholesale and keep it in the trunk. One embarrassing trip is a lot better than multiple ones..."

Cody paused. "I'll keep that in mind..."

"Grab what you need, and I'll walk back with you..."

Cody sighed. He wasn't about to pick up a home pregnancy test in front of Bill. He was pretty sure Bill would tell Jo who would tell Tut who would tell Moseby who would call his Mom. Instead of risking that happening, Cody just grabbed Bailey's regular brand of tampons hoping that they would soon be needed. Cody had to stop at that thought and almost laughed that he was actually hoping she would get her period.

Cody made his purchase and walked back home along side Bill. Once back to the duplex, they split up after Bill wished him luck. Back inside, the dropped the bag on the coffee table. Bailey opened it up and looked inside.

"Ummm...Cody?"

Cody sighed again. "I know..."

"I thought you were going to get a pregnancy test?"

"I was...until Bill saw me and came up to me..."

Bailey was confused. "So?"

"If Bill saw me buy one, he would have told Jo who would have called Tut who would have told Moseby..."

Bailey nodded in understanding. "Who would have called one of our parents..."

"Right. I wanted to hold off from anyone else knowing until we know..."

"Good idea...So, what are we going to do?"

"I'll head back out in a few minutes pretending I forgot something..."

Bailey sighed. "Is it wrong that I hope we need these?"

Cody laughed. "I was thinking the exact same thing..." He paused. "Hey, I still say we have nothing to worry about..."

"I hope so..."

Cody smiled. "This should be long enough. Enough time for you to lambast me for forgetting something..."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Like I would ever do that..." She began to laugh too.

"Be right back..."

Cody returned back down the street to the 7-11. He returned to the aisle he was looking for when he noticed Max and Tapeworm were in there now.

Under his breath, he muttered. "Are you kidding me?"

Cody crouched down out of view. He was hoping he could just hide out of the way until they decided to leave. Of course, it wasn't going to be that easy. They were looking all over, so Cody was constantly on the move ducking and weaving. Finally, he saw them at the counter and sighed with relief. Once they left, he headed back over to the section he needed.

Things didn't get any easier for him. The 7-11 had three different brands. And of course, Cody had no idea what was a good, reliable brand and what wasn't. So, with no other recourse, he grabbed one of each and proceeded to check out. Cody only sighed again when he noticed the clerk giving him a grin.

Finally, he returned home again and slouched against the door once inside. Bailey looked up and had to smile.

"Run into anyone else?"

"Yeah, Max and Tapeworm were in there. I had to hide so they wouldn't see me..."

Bailey laughed. "So, did you get what we needed?"

"I think so...They had three different brands, so I got one of each..."

Bailey nodded. "Probably a good idea..."

Cody emptied the bag, and they both just sat on the couch staring at the three boxes.

"Well, I guess you...ummm...on the sticks and we wait..."

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, I guess so..."

Cody turned to her. "Do you have to...you know...go?"

Bailey sighed. "Not really..."

"We can wait then..."

Bailey shook her head. "Cody, we need to know...No putting this off..."

Cody sighed. "You're right...Its just now, I don't feel as confident as I did earlier..."

"I know...me neither..."

Cody took her hands in his. "Bails...I just want you to know that I love you."

"I know. I love you too."

"Whatever these say won't change that at all..."

"Same here..."

"Let's do it then..."

They opened up the boxes and took the tests to the bathroom. Cody grabbed the kitchen timer, and once Bailey had peed on all three sticks, he pressed start. They left the tests in the bathroom and returned to sit on the couch. Both just looked at each other but not a word was spoken. Millions of thoughts ran through each of their minds.

Finally, the timer went off breaking the silence in the room. Both looked at each other again, nodded and headed into the bathroom. They just looked at the tests. One had two lines, and two others had plus signs.

_To be Continued..._


	63. Looking Ahead

_Chapter 63_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

A double line and two plus signs. Not exactly what either Cody or Bailey were hoping for, but what they got. Without a word, Cody grabbed Bailey's hand in his. They just looked at each other for the longest time before they headed back to the couch. Both slumped back into it, and turned to the other.

"Cody..."

"I know..."

Bailey sighed. "What do we do now?"

"First things first, we get you an appointment at student health. We need to find out how far along you are and get you on prenatal vitamins..."

Bailey nodded. "Should we call our families?"

Cody shook his head. "Not yet...Let's find out all we can before we call them..."

"Alright..."

Cody grabbed his cell phone and the campus directory. Quickly, he called student health and tried to make an appointment for Bailey. However, since it wasn't an emergency, the quickest they could get her in was on Friday morning. Cody sighed and accepted it.

Bailey grabbed his chin and turned his face towards her. "Cody...We're going to be parents..."

Cody nodded. "I know...I guess I need to call Tufts tomorrow and defer my enrollment in med school."

Bailey was confused. "Why would you do that?"

"Bails, in several months, we're going to have a child to support. I should get a job to support us."

"But Cody, med school is your dream!"

Cody smiled. "I know, but so is having a family with you. This was a little sooner than we expected, but like the saying goes, Men make plans and the Gods laugh..."

"But why put off med school? I mean, I'm going to have to put off vet school, but why do you have to? We have plenty of money..."

Cody pulled Bailey closer to him and rubbed her stomach. "Because I promised myself I would..."

Bailey looked at Cody in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Bails, I love my Dad and I know he loved Zack and me. But, he was hardly ever around because he was off chasing his dream of being a musician. I couldn't fault him for that, but sometimes it seemed like his dream of making it big was more important to him than us. I promised myself that I would never do that. I would make sure my children knew that they and their mother were the most important things in the world to me..."

Bailey gave Cody a small smile. "I never considered that. But, Cody, this would be different. You wouldn't be off on the road. You would be right there with me and the baby every single day. And Cody, I know the baby and me would be the most important thing to you..."

"Yeah, you definitely would. But if I'm working, maybe we can afford a babysitter or a nanny so you don't have to miss any time..."

Bailey just looked at Cody incredulously. "Cody, why should I get to go to school and you don't?"

"Because I promised you I would make all of your dreams come true, and I plan on keeping that promise..."

Bailey smiled for real. "And they are. First and foremost, I will have a husband who loves me more than life itself who I feel the same way about..."

Cody smiled at her. "You know I do..."

"Besides, we did the project our senior year, and we did that just fine..."

"Yeah, but if we screwed that up, it was just a sack of flour or sugar. This is a real baby. Our baby. Made out of our love for each other...Bails, I already know you're going to be a great mom."

"And you're going to be a great dad..."

"I hope so..."

Bailey smiled at him. "You will. I may have been out of it, but I remember how you took care of me when I was sick. You'll be the same way with our baby."

Cody smiled and leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Thanks, Sweetie."

Bailey sighed. "Of course, this means I'll be walking down the aisle with a big belly now..."

"Bails, you know you will still be the most beautiful thing in the world to me..."

"Thanks, Codykins...I guess when we meet for final fittings on Sunday, it will be pointless to measure me..."

Cody just pulled her in closer. "It'll be okay. So, besides healthy, what are we hoping for here? A boy or a girl?"

Bailey couldn't help but smile. "Either one would be fine with me. Something tells me a boy would have me wrapped around his little finger, and a girl would have you wrapped around her little finger..."

Cody grinned. "I'm already wrapped around yours...You willing to share?"

Bailey giggled. "I suppose..."

Cody sighed. "If she is even half as beautiful as her mother, I'm going to have sleepless nights once she is a teenager..."

"You think so?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah...How young is too young to send her to a convent?"

Bailey just laughed. "We aren't sending our daughter to a convent...If she is like her mother, she will be lucky and find the love of her life and we'll both know he will take good care of her..."

Cody grumbled. "He better if he knows what's good for him..."

"You know, Cody, I am proud of you. I half expected you to faint or freak out when this finally happened..."

Cody smiled at her. "Who said I wasn't freaking out on the inside? I just knew if I freaked out, we'd have to deal with this once I was done anyways..."

Bailey smiled. "Cody...We're going to be parents."

Cody smiled back at her. "Yeah, we are...We made a baby..." He paused and laughed. "Just like us to fall in the 1%, huh?"

Bailey laughed. "Of course. But Cody, we're not done talking about you and med school yet. We'll figure something out..."

"We'll see, Bails...We'll go to your appointment on Friday, find out what we need to know, and we'll go from there..."

Bailey nodded. "Alright...We'll discuss this more once we know more."

"But you have to take it easy, Sweetheart..." He smiled at her. "You have the proof of our love growing inside you..."

Bailey smiled. "I know..." Bailey paused. "Think he or she will get sick of us constantly kissing each other and romancing each other?"

Cody laughed. "We're his or her parents...Of course we'll embarrass him or her..." He paused. "Or them..."

"Them? Oh my gosh...Twins are a possibility, aren't they?"

"Yeah, they are..."

"Well, if they are a they, I hope they will both be like you..."

Cody grinned. "Afraid one will turn out like Zack?"

Bailey sighed. "Yes..." Then she began to laugh.

The rest of the week, Cody and Bailey just went through their normal routines. They went to class, to work and to their Skulls meeting. They still kept their news to themselves. Without knowing everything, they didn't want to have to answer questions.

Finally, on Friday morning, they went back to student health for Bailey's appointment. Bailey had blood drawn, and we're waiting on the tests.

"So, what's your guess for how far along you are?"

Bailey paused. "I'm going to guess two months..."

"Yeah?" Cody grinned. "You thinking New Year's Eve?"

Bailey blushed. "One of those days..."

Cody nodded. "Maybe..."

"How long do you think we are?"

"I was thinking more like one month..."

This time Bailey grinned. "You thinking that night we stayed in while it snowed..."

Cody grinned back. "Well, it was a memorable night..."

"That is true..."

The doctor finally walked into the exam room.

"Alright, I have your results..."

Bailey nodded. "So, how far along am I?"

Cody nodded. "And should Bailey start taking prenatal vitamins?"

The doctor paused. "No, she shouldn't. She has no need for them. Miss Pickett...You aren't pregnant..."

_To be Continued..._


	64. A Positive Spin

_Chapter 64_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody and Bailey just looked at the doctor in shock. They were expecting to hear how far along their baby was, not what they just heard.

"What do you mean I'm not pregnant? I took three pregnancy tests, and I missed my period!" Bailey exclaimed before pausing. "Did I have a miscarriage?"

The doctor shook her head. "No, you were never pregnant in the first place..."

Cody was confused. "But how...?"

The doctor smiled. "I think the positive pregnancy tests can be attributed to the medication you were on for the flu. It contains a protein that is known to cause false positives."

"Are you sure? Did you double check?"

"Yeah, we tested Miss Pickett's blood three times. Never pregnant."

Bailey spoke up. "What about my missed period then?"

"Well, due to your illness, I believe it is just being delayed. It wouldn't surprise me if it came before the weekend was over..."

Cody and Bailey just looked at each other. "I didn't see this coming..."

Cody shook his head. "Me either..."

The doctor smiled. "You know, most of the time when I tell two people your age that they aren't pregnant, they are usually happier..."

Bailey paused. "Yeah...I guess we should be..."

Cody nodded. "Come on, Bails. Lets get you home..."

They drove home in silence and both slumped back into the couch. Cody turned to Bailey.

"You know, its funny...but I'm disappointed that we aren't pregnant..."

Bailey turned to face Cody and smiled. "So am I...I was really looking forward to it..."

Cody paused to think. "Maybe this was a test for us?"

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe this was to see if we were ready to be parents?"

Bailey nodded. "Maybe so..."

Cody smiled. "I hope we passed..."

"I think so. And I guess our plans for grad school are back on..."

"Yeah, and you can still get fitted on Sunday..."

Bailey laughed. "At least I won't be a beach ball waddling down the aisle..."

Cody laughed too. "And I won't have your Dad standing behind me with a shotgun to my back..."

"Daddy would never do that...I think..." Bailey paused. "Maybe we shouldn't tell our parents about this..."

Cody pulled Bailey closer to him, and she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Bails, we've learned that when the time is right, we are going to be ready..."

"Yeah, we will..."

Cody chuckled. "And if we can wait a few more years, I'll know better what medicines can cause false positives..."

Bailey grinned at him. "In a few more years, you'll be able to deliver him, her or them..."

"I don't know about all of that. I'd be scared to death..."

"Why?"

"Because if I messed up, it could hurt the baby AND you..."

Bailey smiled. "You would do fine. I'm sure of that..."

"Thanks, Bails.." Cody paused. "You know, its kind of funny. You would think that with just happened that I'd feel a lot more cautious. But I don't. Just because we aren't going to have a baby now doesn't mean we can't still keep practicing making one. And if happens, so be it. We'll be ready."

Bailey smiled. "Yeah, we will...Cody, you're going to be my husband soon and the father of my children. Whenever God deems ready to bless us with them, I know we will be ready. And no children will ever have parents who love them more than we will ours. And they will have two parents so deeply in love with each other who will raise them right. And they will be surrounded by a large family who will love them and support them too...Our children will be very lucky."

Cody smiled back at her. "And they will have the best mother they could ask for..."

"And the best daddy too..." And with that, she leaned in and kissed Cody passionately. Obviously, Cody wasn't in a position to argue. They both fell back onto the couch together. Hands were everywhere, and both were getting quite worked up. However, that is when Bailey's phone began to ring.

"Ignore it..."

Bailey pulled back and smiled. "Even better, I'll get rid of whoever it is so they won't keep calling back..."

Cody groaned. "Hurry..."

Bailey answered the phone. Cody could only hear half of the conversation, but he was more interested in Bailey hanging it up. However, his hopes were dashed when hear heard Bailey say they would be there in thirty minutes. Cody's head fell back into the pillow and sighed.

"What is it we have to do?"

Bailey smiled at him. "That was Professor Wainwright. He wants to meet us in his office to discuss our senior projects..."

Cody sighed. "Well, I guess that is pretty important..."

"Come on. We'll finish this later, I promise."

"Ummm...We may need a few minutes...I'm not in any real condition to walk anywhere right now..."

Bailey laughed. "Sorry about that..."

Cody smiled back at her. "Never be sorry for the way you affect me. I wouldn't have it any other way..."

Bailey grinned. "I wasn't really sorry anyways. But, we do need to get you calmed down...Let's talk about baseball for a bit..."

Cody just shook his head and laughed.

About ten minutes later, they both headed out of the house and towards campus. And soon, they were in the Biology building again and made their way up to Professor Wainwright's office. He was on the phone when they knocked, and he motioned them to come inside. They took seats and waited for him to finish his call. Once he was done, he looked up at them.

"Well, I must say, I'm not used to having these discussions in late February..."

Both Cody and Bailey smiled. "Well, we got productive and wanted to get them done..."

Professor Wainwright laughed. "I can see that..."

"So, what do you think of them?"

"They are both well researched and well written. And that's not just my opinion, the other reviewer of your projects agrees with me."

"What comes next?"

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, you're both done. I'm giving you both A's, and and as I can see, this completes your work on your Biology degrees..."

Bailey smiled. "Really?"

Professor Wainwright nodded and smiled. "Yeah. Congratulations to you both. Not many people complete their Biology courses with perfect 4.0s. I would assume you will both be up for departmental honors. And if you want to submit your papers during reading week, you will be eligible for departmental awards."

Cody nodded. "We'll be sure do to that. Thank you for guidance through all of this, Professor Wainwright."

"My pleasure. I'm sure Tufts is glad to be getting the both of you. I wish you both the best."

Cody and Bailey both left his office with a spring in their steps.

"Only nine more credit hours to finish this semester..."

Bailey nodded. "Yeah...And six of those should be easy A's..."

"We can't take that for granted though. We don't want to trip and stumble at the finish line..."

"You're right. We have 4.0s so far, a B in our final semester would stick in our craws for a long time..."

"Well, we have a busy weekend. Tomorrow is our soiree and Sunday is fittings. And then we have another week of exams, and then spring break is here..."

Bailey smiled. "I can't wait for spring break. I think its going to be a lot of fun."

Cody smiled right back. "So do I...And I doubt there will be many other spring breakers there..."

"And we'll have our 5th anniversary while we're gone..."

Cody just shook his head. "I still don't see how you've put up with me for five years..."

"Easy. Because I love you. And I'm looking forward to seventy or eighty more..."

"Me too...I think you'll like what I have planned this year."

Bailey smiled. "Any hints?"

Cody laughed. "Do we ever give the other hints?"

"Well, no..."

By that time, they were back home, and Cody opened the door for Bailey.

"Thank you, Sweetie..."

Once back inside, the hung up their coats and slumped back down on the couch. Bailey turned to Cody and grinned.

"Now...Where were we earlier?"

Cody smiled at her. "I believe we were about to tempt the fates again..."

"Tempt away then. I'm ready for whatever they're going to bring us..."

_To be Continued..._


	65. The New Class

_Chapter 65_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next day was Saturday, and Cody and Bailey had nothing to do until the soiree that night. The calendar may have now said March, but it seemed New England wasn't ready to let go of winter just get. More than one person had been heard mumbling about doing evil things to Punxsutawney Phil. Cody and Bailey just stayed inside with Porkers and had a quiet morning. After the past week, a little peace and quiet wasn't unwelcome. However, they both had a moment of levity on Saturday morning.

"Ummm...Codykins?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"You remember that first box you bought the other day?"

"Yeah..."

"Where is it?"

"I put it in the bathroom cabinet under the sink..." Cody paused and laughed. "Trying to tell me something?"

Bailey laughed. "Guess what showed up a little bit ago?"

"Well, I guess that confirms it, huh?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah."

Cody smiled. "So, I need to be on my best behavior the next few days, huh?"

Bailey just grinned at him. "You better!"

Cody just shook his head. "Lord help anyone who gets on your bad side tonight..."

About six that evening, they were both dressed up and on their way back to the mansion from the year before. Seem there was a story about the house. It belonged to a Bonesman from long ago who in late February and early March was still living in Florida. So, he graciously allowed his house to be used for the introductory soiree. Once they arrived, the caterers were all ready there, and Cody wrote them a check to cover everything. The new prospective members weren't due to arrive until eight, so the current fifteen had to be there by seven.

By seven thirty, everything was ready to go. Cody gave them the final parting words that he had received from the old guard. First and foremost was to represent the organization was dignity and class (an obvious reference to Chet). Beyond that, they were to respect all of the potential new members and especially the legacies. Neither Cody or Bailey felt it was going to be a problem though.

At eight, the new perspective members began to arrive. Among the first to arrive was Ella, and she immediately gravitated to Cody and Bailey. They chatted with her for a while before she went on into the house to meet the other members. Of course, no one but those three new that Cody and Ella were cousins.

A little while later, Max and Tapeworm showed up as well. Well, for the evening, he was going to be Chester again. Cody and Bailey convinced him that shortening it to Chet wasn't a good idea. And they too gravitated towards Cody and Bailey.

Max was a little nervous. "So, what happens tonight exactly?"

Bailey smiled at her. "Just relax. Get to know everyone and eat the free food..."

"Yeah? Are they nice?"

Cody nodded. "They are very nice people. I promise, none of them will bite. And if they do, Max, I know you can take care of yourself..."

Max smiled at that. "Alright..."

"And if you have any questions or issues, just find us..."

Max and Chester made their way inside to mingle. About that time, Ella returned back out to them.

"So, Cuz...When does this show get on the road?"

Cody laughed. "Eventually..."

Ella just rolled her eyes. "Must be a Boston thing to lag behind..."

Cody turned to Bailey. "You know, I was against hazing...until now."

Bailey just shook her head and laughed. "Be nice, Cody..."

About that time, the other member Cody and Bailey had visited made his way over to them.

"Ahh, Mr. Robinson, glad you could join us..."

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm still not sure what is going on here..."

Cody smiled. "All will be revealed in due time. Brent Robinson, I'd like to introduce you to Ella Wellington, another potential member. Miss Wellington, this is Brent Robinson..."

They both nod in greeting. "Your name sounds familiar...Where have I heard in before?"

Bailey spoke up. "Mr. Robinson is captain of the crew team..."

Ella shook her head. "No, that's not it..."

Brent paused. "Well, I'm in the Spizzwinks..."

Ella smiled. "That's where I remember you from. I'm in Out of the Blue..."

Brent smiled. "Yeah, you guys are good."

Cody and Bailey looked at each other in confusion. "Huh?"

Ella laughed. "We're both in a cappella groups..."

"Ohhhh...Okay. Bailey is the only one between us with any musical talent..."

Bailey smiled. "I don't know about that, I hear him singing in the shower all the time. He's not as bad as he lets on..."

Cody laughed. "Don't listen to her. Alley cats throw shoes at me to get me to shut up..."

About an hour later, everyone was still mingling and it seemed to be going well. Cody and Bailey hated to interrupt everything, but they had too. So, Cody grabbed a glass and starting clinking it with a knife.

"I would like to officially welcome you all. I know all of you must have a million questions as to what is going on here. Well, I'm sorry to say we can not answer all of those at this time. But, I do congratulate you all on just being here. By your attendance here, it means that you all are the cream of the crop in the Class of 2015. All of you have impressive resumes, and I'm sure all of you will make great contributions to society one day."

Cody paused to make sure everyone was listening.

"I know most of you have heard about Skull & Bones in one way or another. It is our hope that after we have all gotten to know each other, you will have a better idea of what we are all about. However, I'm sure you've all heard the legend of the Tomb and are curious to what all is inside. Well, the only way that will happen is if we formally invite you to join us on Tap Day. Until then, we won't let you in. We have several secrets that we like to have kept. Speaking of which, we request that the fact that we have invited you here as potential members be kept secret as well. You tell anyone, and your chances of becoming one of us are gone..."

Cody decided to use Ty's joke from last year. "So, in a way, we are like Fight Club..."

The potential members laughed while the current members groaned, including Bailey.

Cody shrugged and continued. "We have invited thirty of you here tonight. Only half of you will officially be invited to become Bonesmen. We are a small group. At any given time, there are less than a thousand living members in the whole world. So, that should tell you something about us upfront. Tonight is a chance for everyone to mingle and get to know each other. Its the beginning of March right now. Tap Day is right before reading week. So, we have a little less then two months to impress you. Likewise, you have a little less than two months to impress us..."

With that, there a murmur heard around the room.

"As there are currently fifteen active members and thirty of you, each of of us has been assigned to be sort of a mentor to two of you to help guide you through this process. Shortly, I will be reading off a list of who has been assigned to who. We'll be making an effort to get to know you, I suggest you do the same. Once the lists have been read, just pretend that this is a normal soiree. Alright, for that list..."

Cody read the lists. His two associates were Tapeworm and Brent Robinson. Bailey's were Max and Ella. Once the lists were read off, everyone began mingling again, getting to know their new mentors. Bailey walked back over to Cody and smirked.

"That sounded awfully familiar..."

Cody grinned. "It should. I went from the script Ty left for me..."

Bailey just laughed. "I should have known..."

"Should we take another page out of their notebook and ask our associates to go out for dinner with us before spring break?"

Bailey nodded. "That's probably a good idea..."

So, that's what they did. And Max, Tapeworm, Ella and Brent were all agreeable. About eleven o'clock, the associates began to filter out and head home.

Bailey was talking to another one of the ladies in the group when one of the associates came up to them. He did his best to be smooth and charming.

"Hello, ladies. I know of another party going on tonight if either of you would like to join me..."

The other girl smiled. "No, I have a boyfriend I'm going to go spend time with..."

Bailey smiled. "And the guy who just gave everyone the speech earlier, he's my fiance. We're going home together soon because we have to get up early to go get our fittings for my wedding dress and his tuxedo..."

"Do all of the girls here have dudes? I was hoping to find some cool chicks."

Bailey paused and frowned. "We're not here to improve your social life. If that's what you think we're about, I suggest you look elsewhere..."

The guy stepped back. "Sheesh...No need to get uppity..."

"Is there a problem here?"

Bailey turned and saw Cody standing there. "No problem. Just explaining to Greg here that the Skulls aren't a dating service..."

Cody nodded and addressed Greg. "Remember, you're supposed to be impressing us. I must tell you, disrespecting our female members will not get you off on the right foot..."

"I didn't mean any harm...I just saw two good looking girls, and I thought..."

"Mr. Salinger, we are an organization of gentlemen who respect women. We value them more than just for their looks. I suggest you remember that. And especially when dealing with Miss Pickett and Miss Davenport. Both are the epitomes of ladies, and we don't take kindly to those who try to objectify them..."

"Sorry..."

"I suggest you leave now..."

The guy just stared at Cody. He didn't like the dress down he just got. "Wait a minute...I'm a legacy!"

"I assure you that you aren't. We know who all of our legacies are. Mr. Salinger, we will not be in further contact with you. And if I were you, I would forget you ever met the Skulls. They don't take kindly to having their own messed with..."

The guy huffed and left. Cody turned back to Bailey and the other girl and grinned. "So, did I pull off being menacing?"

Bailey laughed. "You sure did, Codykins..."

"Good. If there has to be a bad apple in every bunch, I'm glad we found ours out now and got rid of him. Every other associate has left. I say we call it a night too..."

Bailey smiled. "Let's go home...We have a big day tomorrow."

_To be Continued..._


	66. To the Extreme

_Chapter 66_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next morning, Cody and Bailey were up early. They were showered and dressed and swung by and picked up Max and Tapeworm. Soon, they were on the road to Hartford. The GPS directed them to the address that Maria had given them. And about 10:00 AM, they pulled in front of a tailor's shop. Soon after, the Storrs four pulled into the parking lot too. The measurements for the wedding party were the last thing they had to take care of before the wedding. London's measurements were already on file due to numerous designers constantly making clothes for her. And Marcus was going to go to a tailor in Atlanta that Maria had set up an appointment with.

Once inside, one tailor began to measure the guys while another measured the girls. Being the bride and groom had privileges as Cody and Bailey got to go first. And being the maid of honor and best man, Zack and Cassie were next in line. So, while Woody, Tapeworm, Max and Addison were finishing getting measured, the other four had a chance to talk.

"So, what's new in New Haven?"

Cody turned to Bailey and raised his eyebrows, and she nodded.

"Well, Bro...For a few days, we thought you were going to be an uncle..."

Zack and Cassie's eyes went wide open. "What do you mean you thought?"

Bailey sighed. "Well, it started when I was late..."

Zack looked confused. "For what?"

Cassie whispered in his ear and Zack nodded. "Oh..."

Cody continued. "And we got a few home pregnancy tests, and they all came up positive..."

"So are you telling us I'm going to be an uncle then?"

Cody shook his head. "No. Seems the medication Bailey was on for the flu delayed her time of the month and caused a false positive..."

"So, we're not having a baby..."

Zack sighed. "I bet you both were relieved..."

Cody paused. "I guess in some ways, but in others, we were a little disappointed..."

Cassie just looked at her cousin. "You wanted a baby?"

Bailey shrugged. "Well, it wasn't part of our plan, but once we sat down and dealt with it, it didn't seem so bad. Once we started talking about it, we both started looking forward to it..."

Zack shook his head. "Dude...I think I would have needed new boxers if Cassie told me she was late..."

Cody laughed. "That would require you to be wearing clean ones in the first place..."

Zack smirked at his brother. "Ha ha...What did Mom say when you told her?"

"Nothing. You two are the only ones who know. And we'd like to keep it that way. Mom would just freak out..."

Zack nodded. "Probably..." He grinned. "Of course, that would be a bet she lost..."

Bailey frowned. "What bet?"

Zack laughed. "When we were younger, I overheard her say I was the one most likely to get my girlfriend pregnant..."

Once the measurements were taken, everyone headed back home. At least in New Haven, the next week was the last week before spring break and the second round of exams. Cody and Bailey had Population Economics on Tuesday and Baseball and American Society on Thursday. There was a test in Movies and Morons, but all it was going to be was watching a movie and taking a test based off it. So, you couldn't really study for it.

When the week was over, Cody and Bailey spent the weekend readying themselves for spring break. They were due to check in on Sunday afternoon, so they didn't have to head out until Sunday morning. Once again, Porkers was going to be a guest of the Animal Hospital, so he was going to be taken care of. So, once packed, Cody and Bailey loaded up the car and headed west. The crossed over into New York and then into Pennsylvania. A little over three hours after they left home, they had arrived – in the Poconos.

With their honeymoon is three months, Cody had decided that hitting a warm tropical place wasn't necessary. But he wanted someplace all inclusive for them where they could have fun. And in his research, he found the Poconos. And with it being March, he was able to get a great deal. The resort they were staying in has two sister resorts. Their hotel was more of a romantic location while the other two were more family friendly. However, guests at one resort had access to the amenities of the others. And to boot, the resorts were right on a lake.

About two in the afternoon, Cody and Bailey arrived. They checked in and carried their bags up to their room. And Cody had chosen well. Their room had a lake front view from their balcony. It had a single king sized bed with a living room area. And of course, the living room area had a fireplace. The bathroom was palatial as it had both a large whirlpool tub and a walk-in shower. Both were more than satisfied with their room.

After unpacking, they decided to just take a walk around the resort property to get an idea of what they wanted to make sure they did that week. Their anniversary was Saturday, so they had five days to do whatever they wanted. As they walked around, they checked out the concierge desk to get some ideas too. And the concierge gave them an idea the just couldn't turn down. Cody and Bailey finally grabbed dinner at one of their hotel restaurants before calling it a night early. The drive had kind of worn them out.

However, they were up early the next morning about to do something neither of them had ever done before.

Bailey was a little hesitant. "Cody, are we sure we want to do this?"

"It seemed like a good idea yesterday, didn't it?"

"Yeah, from the comfort of the nice safe lobby..."

Cody laughed. "True. You know what, I'm game if you are..."

Bailey smirked. "Gee, thanks...Put all the pressure on me."

"I say we do it. The next time Zack says we don't do anything exciting, we can throw this back in his face..."

Bailey sighed. "Fine...I can't believe I'm about to go whitewater rafting...

And that's exactly what they did. There weren't any class five rapids and only a couple of class fours. But they had a great time. It was an adrenaline rush for them both. Once, Bailey was almost swept out of the raft, but Cody was there to catch her and make sure she didn't go anywhere. When the river calmed down, he showed her how to jam her foot under the seats in front of them to secure her in. When it was over early that afternoon, both were still shaking.

"Cody...That was such a rush!"

"I know..." He grinned. "The biggest rush I've had in a while that didn't include us being by ourselves..."

Bailey laughed. "I know what you mean...I want to do something else like it now..."

"I know..." Cody paused. "How adventurous are you feeling?"

"Right now, very...why do you ask?"

Cody smiled and handed Bailey another brochure. Her mouth opened in shock when she saw what it was. "Are you serious?"

"You said you were feeling adventurous..." Cody smiled. He was pretty sure Bailey would say no and he was safe.

But Bailey grinned at him. "You're right, I did...I say we go for it!"

Cody was shocked. "Really?"

"Of course...How many other chances are we going to get to skydive?" She smiled at him. "You said you were game, right?"

Cody sighed. "I did. Okay, we're jumping out of a plane..."

And that's exactly what they did. A few hours later, after going through training, they were in jumpsuits flying over eastern Pennsylvania. Since they were beginners, they were going to do tandem jumps, and the husband and wife proprietors of the venture were their jump partners. Of course, once the plane door opened , both began having second thoughts. But, neither wanted to let the other down, so they sucked it up. Both were able to communicate via their head sets, so they would be in constant communication. Cody was supposed to go first, and the next thing he knew, he was free falling. All Bailey could hear in her earpiece was screaming. She just laughed until she found herself doing the same thing as she fell through the sky.

Bailey just kept screaming until she heard her name. "Bails?"

"Cody?"

"Are you okay?"

"For the moment..."

"Sweetie, if I ever suggest doing this again, smack me!"

"Don't worry, I will!"

"And if something happens to me...I want you to know how much I love you. I would have loved being your husband..."

"Don't talk like that Cody..." But Bailey looked down and saw the ground quickly approaching her. "But just in case, I love you too. I really wanted to be your wife too..."

"Just in case, my will is in our safe. Aside from a few things I want Zack to have, everything I have is yours..."

"Mine is in there too. And Cody, if something happens to me, take good care of Porkers for me..."

The next thing they both knew, their parachutes opened, and the both began floating back to earth. Once they landed and were disengaged from their tandem parachutes, they both ran to to the other and just held each other close.

"Bails, Lets agree to never ever do anything like that again..."

"I completely agree...I don't want to risk being a widow before I'm even married..."

"How about the rest of the week, we stick to safe, mundane things like a paddle boat or horseback riding..."

Bailey smiled. "That does sound more like our speed..."

Cody smiled back. "But never let it be said we haven't tried our share our crazy things..."

_To be Continued..._


	67. A Relaxing Week

_Chapter 67_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next day, Cody and Bailey did take it easy. One of the sister properties had an indoor water park, and with the weather still only being in the 50's, it was the only way they would be doing any swimming on spring break. Plus, with it being mid March and most kids were still in school, Cody and Bailey pretty much had the run of the place. By now, Bailey was becoming an old pro on water slides. But that didn't stop her from going on every slide as a tandem with Cody. And they just spent hours circling the lazy river in an inner tube made for two.

"Codykins...This is heavenly."

"You're telling me...If a fall asleep, make sure I don't drown..."

Bailey laughed. "Will do..."

"This is much better than yesterday...if my pants are wet, its because of the pool..."

Bailey just laughed again.

The rest of the afternoon, they hit the wave pool for a while before they decided a nap back in their room sounded wonderful. Bailey loved Cody's suggestion of getting a fire going and snuggling up in front of it. That evening, their hotel was having a comic in and they both decided to check it out since it was included with their room. Turns out it was the tall guy who played the brother on Everybody Loves Raymond. He was pretty funny, but a day of swimming had really worn them out. Well, not completely as they did have some alone time later that evening.

On Wednesday, they decided to make it a day outdoors. Like in Phoenix, they got up early to go horseback riding. There was a trail they followed for a good part of the morning. Unlike Phoenix, it was still a little cool, so they were out in jeans and sweatshirts. Cody, for one, was glad to know there weren't likely to run into rattlesnakes. Bailey didn't have the heart to tell him what might be out there instead.

That afternoon, they took a paddle boat out on the lake and just had a leisurely trip around the lake. Once done, they rented some fishing poles and sat on the edge of one of the docks and fished. They weren't really trying to catch anything but merely enjoying being together in the outdoors. Unfortunately, a rain shower cut that short. However, instead of going inside immediately, they decided to be a little silly and play in the rain. The jumped in puddles, and at one point even danced with each other in the rain. Of course, that lead to a kiss in the rain.

Bailey smiled at Cody. "Let's see Spider-man top that..."

Cody smiled back. "Well, we we're both nerdy teenagers at one point..."

"If you're a nerd, then so am I...And you're my nerd..."

"You're no nerd...you're a goddess..."

"And I'm all yours..."

Cody grinned. "Maybe we should head back and dry out in front of the fire..."

"I love your ideas..."

Cody and Bailey returned to their room and never left. When they finally got hungry for something besides each other, they called in room service. And then the rest of the evening was spent in the whirlpool in the bathroom.

Thursday was another day outside. The resort had a very nice golf course, and they brought their clubs just for that very purpose. They teed off about 10:00 AM thinking they might freeze if they started any earlier. Again, neither were very good, but they had a lot of fun. They spent their fair share of time searching for golf balls in the woods, but their tee shots were much better this time. And again, Bailey had way too much fun driving the golf cart. Cody spent a lot of time holding on for dear life. And like the last time, they finished the 18th hole by playing it well. Well, not well, but par was darn good for them.

That night, their hotel had a dinner and magic show. So, they figured why not. And guess who it turned out to be? None other than Amazing Armando. After the show, they hung around to try to talk to him. He did actually remember them, but he was more interested in hearing how London was doing. Eventually, they just gave him her number before calling it a night.

On Friday, they were woken up to the sounds of a thunderstorm outside. So, any outdoor activities would have to be put on hold. So, Cody and Bailey just decided to stay in bed for a while longer. Well, they only did finally get out of bed to answer the door for the room service lunch they ordered. Just being able to relax appealed to them greatly, and they didn't finally leave the room until they went to dinner that night.

On Saturday morning, Bailey was awoken to a series of kisses being placed on her shoulders, neck and collarbone. She smiled and opened her yes to find Cody smiling back at her.

"Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart..."

"Happy Anniversary, Codykins..."

Cody leaned down and kissed her. "Thank you for the best five years of my life."

"Thank you for mine."

"I just ordered breakfast, so it should be here soon..."

Bailey grinned. "And you woke me up before it got here?"

Cody laughed. "Sorry about that. I just couldn't keep my hands off of you any longer."

"I'll let it slide this time...Oh, who am I kidding, I'll let it slide every time..."

"Good, because it going to happen over..." He kissed her neck again. "And over..." He kissed her shoulder blade. "And over..." He nibbled on her ear. "And over..." He ended it with a passionate kiss.

Bailey smiled back at him. "I can handle that..." She leans up to kiss him, but is interrupted by a knock at the door.

Cody sighed. "I knew I should have waited to order until you were awake or waited to wake you until it got here..."

"Its okay, Codykins...We have all day."

Cody answered the door and wheeled in their breakfast. And as per their anniversary tradition, they fed each other with Bailey sitting in Cody's lap. Once they finished eating, Bailey made no effort to get up from Cody's lap.

"So, what do you have planned for today, Sweetie?"

Cody smiled. "Nothing until 1:00. So, until then, we can do whatever you want to, Honey..."

Bailey grinned. "I think I just want to stay in for a while. I just can't decide between the fireplace and the whirlpool tub..."

"Bails...Its our anniversary. We're allowed to do both..."

And they did. Finally, about noon, they made their way to the walk-in shower to finally get cleaned up. Once changed, they headed downstairs, and Cody lead Bailey over to the spa. Bailey smiled. Spa treatments had become kind of a tradition on their anniversary. Once checked in, they were almost immediately given fluffy robes and sent to a room to change. After changing into their robes, they were lead into a room with a dual mud bath. They slipped off their robes, and climbed into the bath. They laid back, hand in hand as the warm mud began its work. As they relaxed, a staff member came in and applied clay masks to both of them.

Feeling refreshed, they exited the mud bath, and rinsed themselves and each other off in a hot springs mineral water shower. From there, they moved over to a private hot jacuzzi that had even more hot springs mineral water. Once that was done, they wrapped towels around them and proceeded to move on to a couples massage. Both were feeling extremely relaxed and at ease. And when the massage was over, they were lead over to a private sauna for them to sit back in and relax.

"Cody, this was amazing..."

"Good. I hope you feel pampered..."

"Oh, I do. I love this sauna..."

Cody laughed. "Now you tell me when I've already bought your anniversary gift..."

Bailey smiled at him. "I know, Sweetie...We'll just add it to our list for our first house..."

"The way this list keeps getting longer and longer, we're going to need a big house..."

"No we don't...we just need each other..."

"Bails, you will be all I ever need."

"Codykins?"

"Yeah?"

Bailey grinned. "Did you notice the sauna locks from the inside?"

Cody nodded. "I did..."

Bailey stands up and proceeds to lock it and turns back to face Cody.

Cody grinned. "Looking for extra privacy?"

Bailey dropped her towel. "Uh huh..."

An hour later, their timer went off and they had to get out. It was a good thing they had just had been in a sauna or the staff might have wondered why both were all sweaty and glowing. After changing back into their clothes, they returned to their room to shower and change. Bailey asked what the dress code was, and Cody told her he was wearing a sport coat and khakis. Bailey dressed accordingly, and once dressed, they were out.

Cody entered an address into the GPS and drove them to a very nice country inn. Once they were inside, Bailey was very impressed. There was a roaring fire and every table was candlelit. Cody gave them his name for the reservation he made and they were seated. Sitting across the table, they began to talk.

"So, where is the drama for our anniversary this year?"

Cody laughed. "I think we had that a couple of weeks ago..."

Bailey smiled. "True. I'm just glad we've had a relaxing week..."

"Me too...When we get back, the finish line will be in sight..."

"I know. I can't wait..."

Cody smiled. "Speaking of waiting, would you like your gift now or after we eat?"

"Let's wait...We don't want the waiter to interrupt us."

And as if on cue, the waiter soon showed up with their meals. Both meals were delicious and both shared with the other. Both were quite full, but almost as soon as their plates we're cleared, a small cake with five candles was brought out to them.

"Cody..."

"Bails, I swear I didn't set this up. I just told them when I made the reservation that we were celebrating our 5th anniversary..."

Bailey smiled. "Maybe we can take it back to the room with us. Dessert for after 'dessert'..."

"God, I love you..."

"The feeling is mutual..."

Cody smiled. "Now, its time for your gift..." Cody pulled an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Bailey. "Here you go."

Bailey opened the envelope in excitement but was a little confused with what she found. "Cody, I don't understand..."

"Well, they say year five is wood. That is a picture of the swing on your grandmother's porch that you love so much. I took it before Christmas. The other item there is a delivery confirmation. I found an woodworker in Boston who is going to recreate the swing as best as he can so you have one of your own. We can put it out on our rooftop deck if you want..."

Bailey just looked at him and tears were forming in her eyes. "Cody...I can believe you did this..." She got up and walked over to him, sat in his lap and kissed him. "This may be the sweetest, most thoughtful thing I've ever heard of. I love it...but not as much as I love you..."

"Good. I'm glad I could make you happy..."

"You always do...Now, are you ready for your gift?"

"Of course..."

Bailey smiled. "Once again, we thought alike. I went with something wood too, but a little different direction. Cody, do you remember all the nights we laid out on the skydeck just looking at stars?"

Cody smiled. "Of course I do...I think we did more than just look at the stars though..."

"I know. You remember the lounge chair in particular we always used?"

"Yeah...We both fit in it perfectly...We also carved our initials into it that one night"

"Its yours now. I called London for a favor and she was able to let me buy it for you..."

Cody just shook his head and smiled again. "You are amazing. That sounds perfect. I love you, Sweetheart..." And with that Cody leaned in for a kiss.

Bailey smiled back. "Ready to head back to our room for dessert?"

Cody chuckled. "We have one more stop first..."

They paid their check, and Cody began driving back towards their hotel. But instead of heading back to their room, Cody lead her into one of the theaters in the hotel.

"Cody, what are doing here?"

"You'll see..."

The lights went dark, and the curtain opened. A voice came over the loud speaker.

"Ladies and Gentlemen...Miss Jordin Sparks!"

Bailey turned and looked at Cody in utter shock and surprise.

"Oh my gosh!"

Cody smiled. "Happy Anniversary, Bailey..."

_To be Continued..._


	68. Nothing to Do

_Chapter 68_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The Jordin Sparks concert was amazing. The entire time, Bailey had her arm intertwined with Cody's and their fingers locked. Once it was over, they joined everyone in giving her a standing ovation. They would have liked to have said hello again, but Miss Sparks was quickly rushed off the stage. But that was okay with Bailey and Cody. They had a date for dessert waiting on them. And it was sweet. The rest of the night, they made love and basked in their joy and happiness of being together.

Unfortunately, Sunday morning brought with it the end of their trip. Like the year before in Washington, they slept in and had to rush to get everything packed up before their check out at noon. Once the SUV was loaded, they stayed in town for a bit to grab lunch. Since next week was still spring break, they had nothing they had to rush home for (well, Porkers, but he was just fine). Once they had eaten, they returned to the SUV and began the drive home. They finally made it back to New Haven and did stop to pick up Porkers before heading home.

Once home, they just relaxed. There was enough food in the house to put off a shopping trip until the next day, so there was no need to head back out. So, with the washer and dryer going, they both just spread out on the couch and spent the evening watching television. And they both ended falling asleep there.

The next morning, they both woke up and showered and changed as usual. They had breakfast, and then decided to go do their grocery shopping. However, they were done with that by eleven in the morning.

"Bails...What do we do now?"

Bailey paused. "I don't know. Our Biology paper is done. We're caught up with all of our homework. We don't have anything Skulls related until next week. Cody...We have nothing to do..."

Cody laughed. "Think Zack would mind if we called him in Cancun to get advice about how to goof off?"

Bailey laughed too. "Probably...And its not like I can plan for your birthday this week. Your Dad and Aunt Sarah are coming into town for it, and have said they are taking care of everything..."

"Something tells me that's going to be a long night..."

Bailey smiled. "Don't worry, I'll hold you hair back for you. I mean, you did for me..."

"You think I'm going to be that bad, huh?"

"Probably...But its to be expected. Cody, neither of us have ever drank before, so neither one of us has any kind of tolerance. And all of our friends are going to be buying you guys in celebration. I'm fully expecting you to be pretty bad off..."

Cody sighed. "You're probably right. Bails, how about this. I'll take care of you on your 21st if you take care of me on mine..."

"Deal...I knew it was a good idea for us to grab as many air sickness bags from the plane as possible..." Bailey laughed. "But Cody, if you throw up in the SUV, you're cleaning it up..."

Cody nodded. "Fair enough. But that's in two weeks. What do we do now?"

Bailey shrugged. "No clue...There is nothing wedding related we need to do either..."

Cody paused. "Well, we could go rent the Ken Burn's Baseball documentary. We've been meaning to do that..."

Bailey nodded. "That's true. Its almost nineteen hours though..."

"Well, we could break it up and watch four hours a day..."

Bailey shook her head. "No, if we start, lets go ahead and get it over with..."

Cody smiled. "You're probably right. And you know, when we do finish it, lets just do nothing..."

"Really?"

"Bails, this time next year, we'll be begging to have nothing to do for a few hours. We don't want to look back now and realize we wasted this opportunity..."

Bailey smiled. "You're right. You go rent the documentary and I'll prepare us some snacks..."

So, for the rest of the day Monday and most of the day Tuesday, the watched nineteen hours of nothing but baseball. It was very interesting and both thoroughly enjoyed it. But nineteen hours of it were a bit much to take in all at one time. By Tuesday night, they finished the last volume of it. Neither were aware there just sitting there and watching TV could wear you out so much.

When they woke up Wednesday morning, they were faced with the same situation they had on Monday morning. But this time, they weren't lamenting it now. Instead, they just decided to do whatever sounded life fun. And on Wednesday morning, they decided to go for a run around campus. With it empty, they didn't have to get in everyone's way and vice versa. The last couple of miles both were feeling fatigue, but they promised themselves if they made it home without stopping, a joint shower would be their reward. Well, neither stopped, but they both were exhausted when they got home. They decided a relaxing bath sounded better.

"Codykins?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

Bailey laughed. "I'm tired..."

Cody laughed as well. "Me too..."

"How about foot rubs on the couch when we're done soaking?"

"Perfect..."

So, the rest of the day Wednesday was spent on the couch. They even ordered delivery as neither really felt up to cooking.

"Okay, so what's on tap for tomorrow?"

"How about we decide tomorrow?"

Bailey just snuggled closer into Cody. "Sounds good to me..."

Thursday was spent down at the beach. Still too cold for the water, they found other ways to pass the time. They finally got a chance to use their new picnic backpack and had nice relaxing lunch.

"Just think...in a couple of months, we'll be on the beach for our honeymoon..."

Bailey smiled. "I know. I admit. I really liked London's suggestion..."

"Yeah, it will be the best of both worlds..."

"When do you want to head out? After the wedding or the next day?"

Cody paused. "Probably the next day. As much as I'll want to get you alone, we probably should spend some time celebrating with our family and friends..."

Bailey nodded. "I agree. We need to remind ourselves to bring a change of clothes for after the reception..."

Cody grinned. "Saying you don't want to hang out in your wedding dress all night?"

Bailey laughed. "Not if things are going to get wild. Cody, I want to save my wedding dress. That might not be possible if we get thrown into the pool..."

Cody nodded and laughed. "Yeah, I can see that happening. You know, its going to suck not being able to spend the night with you the night before..."

Bailey smiled. "I know, but one night isn't going to kill us..."

"So says you...Bails, almost every night since the summer before our senior year, I've gone to bed with you in my arms...The only times I can remember when we didn't was the first couple of times we visited Kettlecorn..."

"I know. I remember the night when I woke up and you were in the home office doing some research. I couldn't sleep either without you there next to me..."

"Face it, Sweetie...You've become as essential to me as the air I breathe..."

Bailey smiled again. "You too...But, we're going to be separated on our bachelor/bachelorette parties...And it will only be the night before the wedding. Every other night on board, I'll be there right next to you..."

Cody pouted. "If I have to...but promise me, after that, no more nights apart..."

"I promise."

After a day on the beach, Cody and Bailey returned home and just hung out again. Friday went much of the same way. The weekend brought people back to town. So, Cody and Bailey invited Max, Tapeworm, Ella and Brent out to dinner. And it was a lot of fun. Brent was more comfortable around them now, and Max had relaxed about the whole Skulls thing too. Of course, no one at the table actually believe them when Cody and Bailey said they had gone skydiving over spring break.

Monday brought with it the return to school. Well, for most it did. Cody and Bailey's first class wouldn't be until Tuesday morning. And being back in class felt good to them both. They both even enjoyed going back to work that afternoon. The rest of the week seemed to fly by when they actually had something to do.

Saturday morning brought with it a change. Bailey actually woke up before Cody did and smiled as she was able to make him breakfast in bed. She carried the tray into the bedroom and sat it on the dresser. Then, she crawled back into bed and began peppering Cody's neck and cheek with kisses. Cody woke up and rolled them over before placing a passionate kiss on Bailey's lips.

"Good morning, Beautiful..."

"Happy Birthday, Cody...You're 21 now..."

Cody smiled. "Thanks Sweetie..."

"You ready for a wild and crazy day?"

Cody laughed. "We'll see..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: Only 7 chapters left. I'm currently writing the bachelor/bachelorette parties. I realize the rules I set for them have limited me in what I can do, so we'll see how those go. And in case anyone is interested, the Weasels on Deck crossover is on youtube now. Maybe its just me, but it was the worst crossover I've ever seen. I'm still trying to figure out the point of Zack and Cody being in it as they really didn't do much. And it was the first I'm in the Band episode I ever saw. I wasn't impressed.**_  
_


	69. An Intoxicating Evening

_Chapter 69_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody and Bailey shared the breakfast that Bailey had made. And sharing it in bed was even better as Cody was in no hurry to get out of bed as long as Bailey was there with him.

"So, what time are we supposed to meet Dad and everyone?"

"6:00"

"So, what do you have planned before then?"

Bailey smiled. "Its your birthday, what do you want to do?"

Cody smiled back at her. "I kind of like what I'm doing right now..."

Bailey laughed. "So, no return of the viking king today?"

"Oh, he may make an appearance before too long..."

Bailey giggled. "I hope so...But before he does, I want to go ahead and give you your birthday gifts now so you actually remember them..."

"Alright. You didn't have to get me anything though. Just being with you is enough for me."

"I know. But I wanted to give you a few things..."

Bailey goes over to the closet and pulls out two wrapped boxes and a gift bag. She hands Cody the first wrapped box.

"First, the practical ones..."

Cody unwrapped the gift and smiled when he saw what was in side. "The most current editions of Taber's Medical Dictionary and Gray's Anatomy...Thank you, Sweetie..."

"I figured those might come handy next year..."

Cody grinned. "I know they will..."

Bailey smiled at him and then handed him the gift bag. "This one is kind of a silly one, but I thought you might like it..."

Cody pulled out the tissue paper and reached into the bag. He pulled out a pair of lavender boxers with the words "Cody & Bailey, June 26, 2014" embroidered on the back. Cody laughed when he saw them.

"Something tells me you will see these again on our wedding night..."

"So, do you like them?"

"I love them, Bails. Thank you..."

Bailey handed them the other box. "And these are more for next year, but you might be able to use them now..."

Again, Cody unwrapped the box and opened it. Looking inside, he smiled. There was a brown Tufts University School of Medicine hooded sweatshirt, a similar navy blue long sleeved t-shirt and a similar gray short sleeved t-shirt. He looked up at Bailey and smiled again. "I love them. Thank you so much, Bailey."

"Good."

He set the shirts to the side and pulled Bailey into his arms. "But nowhere near as much as I love you. I want to go ahead and apologize now if I do anything stupid tonight..."

Bailey smiled at him. "I know, Cody. But I really don't think it will be that bad..."

Cody smiled. "You know, they say some people become overly affectionate when they have alcohol in them. I hope you're prepared for that..."

Bailey laughed. "Somehow, I think I'll manage...So, King Cody, what do you want to do now?"

Cody paused. "Well, the gifts have given me an idea..."

"Yeah?"

Cody grinned. "For some reason, I'm in the mood to play doctor..."

Bailey giggled. "You do, do you?"

"Uh huh...Miss Pickett, you aren't looking well, I may have to give you a thorough examination..."

Bailey grinned. "Will that include a sponge bath?"

"Of course. I think you will need plenty of TLC..."

"Mmmm...Well, Dr. Martin, I'm in your hands..."

"You sure are...and I'm never letting you go..."

For the rest of the morning, both just had fun. First, sounds of giggling came from the bedroom followed by other noises. Porkers trotted up and stood outside of their bedroom door. There were those noises again. He shrugged (as much as a pig can shrug), and trotted back to his food bowl. If he had learned anything, whatever Cody and Bailey were doing behind that door, they both always looked happy when they came out.

About four that afternoon, Cody and Bailey had to actually get moving for the day. Both figured the joint sponge bath they had probably wasn't sufficient, so they grabbed a shower together. They did have to behave themselves or they were going to be late. Cody was going to wear the new long sleeved t-shirt Bailey bought him, but thought better of it just in case. At five, they were on the road. Cody said he would drive as Bailey would have to drive back. And to make things easier, Bailey told Max and Tapework that she would pick them up. So, the four of them made their way north to Hartford.

At six o'clock, Bailey pulled into the restaurant that Kurt had given them directions for. And there waiting out front were Kurt and Sarah. Both hugged Cody and wished him a happy birthday. Soon after, the Storrs four pulled up too with Cassie driving the SUV. Kurt and Sarah proceeded to hug Zack and wish him a happy birthday too.

Walking inside, the place was very nice, and everyone could see that it had a full stocked bar. Kurt had reserved a private room and they were seated there. Kurt told everyone to order whatever they wanted as everything was on him. Of course with that, Woody's eyes went wide open. The waitress took several appetizer orders, and before she left, Kurt whispered something to her. While they waited they began to talk about their spring breaks.

Zack grinned. "We spent the entire week hanging out in the Caribbean, around the pool and enjoying the nightlife..."

Kurt nodded. "Sounds like fun..."

"Oh yeah. I still don't see why Cody and Bailey didn't come with us..."

Cody smiled. "We had our own fun in the Poconos..."

Zack rolled his eyes. "And just what you two do there that was so much fun?"

"Well, we went whitewater rafting and skydiving and..."

Zack and Kurt just looked at Cody and Bailey in shock. "You did what?"

Cody shrugged. "Whitewater rafting and skydiving..."

Zack just shook his head. "You really expect everyone to believe that you two jumped out of an airplane?"

Bailey smiled. "We did..." She pulled out her cell phone to show a picture of the two of them on the ground after they landed. "Look at this..."

Cassie shook her head now. "You guys really did it..."

Cody and Bailey both laughed. "Yes, we did...But don't worry, once was enough for us."

"Yeah, once we hit the ground, I was quite content to stay there. I told Bailey to smack me if I ever mentioned it again..."

Zack shrugged. "Who knew?"

About that time, the waitress returned with the appetizer and three bottles. A bottle of Sam Adams Boston Lager was placed in front of Cody, Zack and Kurt. Kurt stood up.

"I want to thank you all for coming. Twenty one years ago today, I was given the best gift I ever received...my boys. And it seems like it was only yesterday that I was helping feed and change them. But today, I see two grown men before me. My son, Zack...You have no idea how proud of you I am. You were always the headstrong one with no fear and ready to take on any challenge. But often, I questioned you and your methods. I admit, there were times I wondered if you would ever grow up, but I know you have. And Cassie, I want to thank you because I know you had a large part in that. I know you are a calming influence on Zack and his motivation to do things the right way. Zack, you seem to be on the road to taking this world by storm. I anxiously await seeing what you will do...My son, Cody...I'm equally as proud of you. You were always the dreamer and saw everything in the best way possible. With you, I feared the world would disappoint you and let you down. I was also afraid the world would challenge you, and you wouldn't know how to handle it. But, you've proven me wrong. You've handled everything thrown at you and come out stronger each time. And I know you get a lot of your strength and confidence from the young lady sitting next to you. From the first time I met Bailey, I knew Cody had met his match. Bailey, I don't know if you've noticed it, but you bring out the absolute best in my son. In three months, I will be proud to call you my daughter..."

Kurt lifts up his bottle. "So, I offer a toast to my boys, their ladies and their friends. They are the best sons a dad can ask for. Cheers." And with that, everyone drinks their drink. To Cody, the lager wasn't quite what he wasn't expecting. It wasn't as bad as he was thinking, but he knew it would never be his favorite.

Bailey turned to Cody. "Well, how is it?"

Cody shrugged. "Its alright I guess. You want a sip?"

Bailey smiled. "I'll wait until my turn next month..."

As they ate their appetizers and meals, all of Cody and Zack's friends had drinks bought for them. Max went first.

"For the guys I first met in Boston, I could think of nothing better for you than a couple of Cape Cods (what vodka and cranberry is really called). Happy birthday, guys..."

Zack and Cody both drank them. To Zack, it wasn't exactly his taste. But to Cody, he actually kind of liked it. He told Bailey to remember that it was pretty good in case he forgot.

Tapeworm went next. "I hear these are very popular nowadays, so I give you both a Jaegerbomb..."

Zack and Cody looked at each other and shrugged. It was their first actual shot of the night, and both threw them back. Now, both admitted they weren't bad.

Addison went next. "You guys always like to tease me about my love of sugar, so I'm just paying you back a little. I hope you both enjoy the cotton candy martinis..."

Zack and Cody both drank them, but were both taken aback with just how sweet they were.

Woody was the next to go. "I asked around to find out what the best drink to get you guys was on your 21st birthday, and almost everyone told me I should get you these..." He grinned. "Enjoy your four horsemen..."

Cody stared at the double shot in front of him. "Ummm...Woody. What's in this?"

Zack sighed. "Its Jack, Johnny, Jim and Jose..."

Cody flinched. "Oh..."

Both just stared at the shot in front of them before sucking it up and throwing them back. Well, if Zack and Cody were still feeling relatively good before that, they weren't then. Bailey could see Cody's face breaking out with sweat.

"Sweetie, are you alright?"

Cody grimaced. "I don't know..."

Bailey stood up. "Come on, I'm taking you to get some fresh air..." And with that, Bailey led Cody outside and then sat on a bench in the cool March air.

"Bails...It feels like my stomach is on fire..."

Bailey smiled at him. "Its okay. We'll stay out here until it settles..."

Cody smiled back at her. "Thanks..."

"Be honest, how are you feeling?"

"Until that last one, I felt fine..."

"Just take your time...It'll pass soon..."

And Bailey was right. About ten minutes later, Cody no longer felt like he was about to breathe fire, and they returned to the table. Of course, as soon as they were back, Zack and Cody each had another surprise in front of them.

Cassie smiled. "These are from Bailey and I. Zack, for you, I chose something to remind us of a special time. So, in honor of our trip to Disney World, I had a Buzzed Lightyear ordered for you..."

Zack laughed and picked up the drink to examine it.

Bailey continued. "And Cody, for you, I chose something to honor our first trip to New Haven. I had a Sex on the Beach ordered for you..."

Bailey quickly blushed when everyone started staring at them. She mumbled. "Not literally..."

Cody and Zack both kissed their ladies and began sipping on their drinks. By then though, the damage had already been done. Cody and Zack were both beginning to feel the affects of the alcohol on their systems. And the rest of the evening, even more drinks were ordered for them. The only thing that kept them from probably passing out at the end of the night was the birthday cake being brought out to the table. The cake gave them something else in their stomachs to absorb the alcohol. By midnight, everyone thought Zack and Cody had had enough.

Kurt and Sarah hugged them both goodbye and wished them a happy birthday again. They told them both they would see them in May for graduation. Once Zack and Cody were helped into the passenger seats, Kurt asked Cassie and Bailey to take care of them. Naturally, both said they would take good care of them.

The drive home, Bailey was a little worried. Cody just sat there staring out the windshield of the car, but he never said anything. She didn't hear any snoring though, so she knew he wasn't asleep. And every so often she would look over to make sure he was still breathing. Once back in New Haven, she dropped Max and Tapeworm off before heading home. She pulled the SUV behind their apartment and turned it off. Bailey turned and looked at Cody.

"Codykins?"

Cody swung his head over towards her. "Uh huh?"

"How are you feeling?"

Cody just grinned at her. "Fantastic..."

Bailey smiled. "We're home. Ready to go inside?"

"Okay..."

Bailey got out and went around to open the door for Cody. She noticed he was having trouble unfastening his seat belt and helped him undo it. Cody tried to get out, but his legs were a little wobbly.

"Let me help you inside, Cody..." She wrapped her arm around his waist and helped him walk inside their apartment. Immediately, she helped him to their bedroom. Cody fell back on the bed and just stared at the ceiling.

"Bails..."

"Yeah, Sweetie?"

"Can you make the room stop spinning?"

Bailey laughed. "Sorry. Just close your eyes though..."

Cody did. "Much better..."

"Sit up for me, I need to help you change into your pajamas." She pulled him up and reached to unbutton Cody's shirt when he grabbed her wrists.

Cody began to slur his words. "I just want to tell you how much I love you. Bails, you're the greatest. I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have you. I just wanted you to know that..."

Bailey smiled. "I know, Cody. I love you just as much..."

"I know...Let's get married tomorrow!"

"Okay, Baby...If you'll go to sleep for me, we'll talk about it in the morning..."

Cody smiled. "Good. Because I really love you..." Cody closed his eyes and began singing. "I can love you like that...I would make you my world...Move Heaven and Earth if you were my girl...I will give you my heart...Be all that you need...Show you you're everything that's precious to me..."

And with that, Cody fell backwards and passed out.

Bailey just shook her head and smiled. She leaned down and kissed him. "I know Codykins...My Prince Charming did come rescue me..."

_To be Continued..._


	70. The Hangover

_Chapter 70_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next morning, when Bailey woke up, she looked over and checked on Cody. He was still sound asleep and snoring. She had managed to get his shoes, khakis and button up shirt off of him, but just left him to sleep in his undershirt and boxers. And he was still laying in the exact spot she had finally moved him into. Bailey leaned over and kissed his cheek before she got out of bed herself. She found Porkers was up and whispered to him.

"Shhhh...Cody had a rough night last night."

Porkers didn't oink and followed Bailey into the kitchen. She took him out for a little bit before coming back inside. She was going to run a pot of coffee, but then she remembered reading that coffee wasn't actually good for a hangover. So instead, she checked to see if there was a sports drink in the fridge and there was one. Then she went into the bathroom to get him some Tylenol. While she waited on Cody to wake up, she fixed herself a bowl of cereal and read the paper.

She was engrossed in an article she was reading when she heard the toilet flush. She looked up to find Cody stumbling into the kitchen.

Bailey smiled. "Good morning, Codykins..."

Cody tiredly laughed. "That's to be determined..."

"How are you feeling?"

Cody walked over and kissed her cheek. "I know what you mean now when you said you felt like you'd been hit by a car..."

"Well, there is a sports drink in the fridge, and I have a couple of Tylenol for you."

"Thanks, Sweetie..." Cody took the Tylenol and downed half the bottle of sports drink.

"Careful, Codykins. Don't drink it too fast, or you'll get heartburn again..."

Cody smiled. "Oh yeah..." He paused. "If I ever get the urge to do anything like that again, just shoot me..."

Bailey laughed. "But it was so much fun..."

Cody sighed. "Did I do anything to embarrass you last night?"

Bailey smiled. "No, not at all. What's the last thing you remember?"

"I have vague memories of a birthday cake. Remind me I owe Woody one..."

"Well, the entire drive home, you just sat there staring off into space. And for the most part, you walked in here without me having to carry you..."

"That's good...I think"

Bailey grinned. "You were right though. When I tried to get you into bed, you just kept telling me you love me..."

Cody smiled at her. "I do that when I'm sober..."

"True, but you don't usually serenade me..."

Cody sighed. "Really?"

"Its okay. It was actually really sweet..."

"I can't wait for it to be your turn."

Bailey shook her head. "Oh no. After last night, that won't be happening to me..."

Cody laughed. "Uh huh...It was our friends that put me under. They'll do the same to you..."

Bailey shrugged. "We'll see..."

The rest of the day, they took it easy. Eventually, by lunch, Cody was ready to put food back into his system. Even though he was feeling close to old self, he was glad they didn't have class the next day. So, there was no homework they had to do which was nice. About five that afternoon, Cody's cell phone began to ring.

"This is Cody..."

_"Good to see you're still alive too..."_

Cody laughed. "Barely. You hurting today too?"

_Zack sighed. "Oh yeah...Did you yack last night?"_

"Ummm...Let me find out." Cody covered the phone and turned to Bailey. "Did I throw up last night?"

Bailey laughed. "No, you didn't..."

Cody sighed in relief and held the phone back up. "Bailey says I didn't. Did you?"

_"Lets just say I exercised the demons..."_

Cody laughed. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, Bailey says I tried to serenade her last night..."

_Zack laughed. "Oh boy...At least I didn't do that...Cassie still wont tell me everything I did last night though. She just keeps laughing every time I bring it up..."_

"Yeah, it will be a while before I do anything like that again..."

_"Oh no it won't...That will be every night in Vegas..."_

"Yeah, I don't think so..."

_"You'll see..."_

"Speaking of which, we need revenge on Woodchuck...That four horseman is what put me over the top..."

_"Agreed...We'll think of something."_

Cody and Zack finally ended their phone call, and Cody slumped back into the couch. Bailey just looked at him and smiled.

"I take it Zack did throw up?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah..." He paused. "I probably didn't because you made me go outside and get some fresh air..."

"You're welcome..."

Cody grinned. "I'll have to remember that trick next month..."

Bailey shook her head. "Won't be necessary..."

"Bails...Its a right of passage. I did it. I lived."

Bailey sighed. "I know. But what if I get sick and..."

"And what?"

"What if I don't handle it as well as you did?"

Cody laughed. "You think I handled it well?"

"Cody, it went a lot better than I feared it might go..."

Cody took Bailey's hands in hers. "Bails, don't worry about anything. I will be there to take care of you every step of the way..."

Bailey smiled at him. "Really?"

"Really..." Cody grinned. "Besides, I can't wait to see what you sing to me..."

By Monday morning, Cody was feeling back to his old self. They spent Monday doing some errands including going to get fitted for their caps and gowns. When they got home, they proceeded to do their homework for the next day. The rest of the week went by pretty much the same way.

On Friday, they were just hanging around the house again. Cody went out to check the mail and was very excited when he came back inside.

"What is it Codykins?"

"Guess who we got letters from today?"

Bailey shook her head. "No idea..."

Cody grinned. "Phi Beta Kappa..."

Bailey smiled. "Really?"

"Uh huh..." Cody handed Bailey her envelope.

Both opened them and read the letters inside. Cody and Bailey then looked back up at each other and smiled. Both had been invited to join.

"Congrats, Bails!"

"You too, Codykins! This is a great honor..."

Cody looked at his letter again. "Looks there is an induction ceremony in a couple of weeks..."

"We'll be there..."

Cody grinned. "Speaking of induction ceremonies, guess what else is coming up?"

Bailey smiled. "The Skulls Initiation. I can't wait to be on the other side this year..."

"Me too..." Cody paused. "Umm Bails?"

"Yeah?"

"After the way you drive a golf cart, I don't think we want you to be driving the van..."

Bailey pouted. "Why not?"

Cody leaned in and kissed her. "Because we want everyone to get there in one piece..."

_To be Continued..._


	71. Passing the Torch

_Chapter 71_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next couple of weeks went by without any incident. Finally, it got to the last week of classes before reading week. Friday was going to be the Skulls initiation ceremony for the class of 2015, but first, Cody and Bailey had another ceremony to go through.

Phi Beta Kappa is reserved for the top ten percent of all college students, and to be asked to join is a high honor. Cody and Bailey weren't about to turn down their offers, so on Wednesday night, they were in the Battel Chapel for their induction ceremony. As they sat there waiting their turns, they whispered to each other.

"They call this an induction ceremony?"

"Cody, this isn't a secret society...There is no need for secrets and special effects..."

Cody sighed. "I know...I guess the Skulls have spoiled me..."

Soon, it was Cody and Bailey's turn, and they repeated the oath that was required of them. Once they have been formally inducted, they were given their Phi Beta Kappa keys. After the ceremony, their was a reception afterwards.

Milling around the reception, they saw several people they recognized. One of which was Gary, their fellow Bonesman and Jessica's boyfriend. He came up to them and began talking to them.

"Is everything set for Friday?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah, the van will be ready, and everyone needs to be at the Tomb by noon. Well go through a dry run of the initiation ceremony until we get it right. Then everyone will dawn their all black and we'll move out."

Gary nodded. "Sounds good. See you both on Friday..."

Cody and Bailey continued to hang around the reception, but they weren't getting much out of it. So, they decided to head home. Besides, they were now members and already had their keys. They were graduating in a month and already knew what they were doing next. Add that to the fact that the network of contacts they had now was significantly better than what they could make there, they didn't feel like they were missing much.

Finally Friday afternoon rolled around. Cody and Bailey had gotten to the Tomb around ten to get everything ready for the initiation practices. Once they gathered up all the regalia, they set up the ritual room for initiation. After doing that, they just waited for everyone else to arrive. And by noon, everyone was there.

"Alright everyone, we know from last year that we are potentially in for a long night, so I hope everyone got a good night's sleep last night. Now, the plan is we leave to start picking people up at 3:00. If we get the ceremony down cold quickly, we can all take naps until three. So, lets get started..."

For the next hour, they practiced it and practiced it. And at that time, everyone was satisfied with their performance and decided to let everyone take it easy before it was time to head out. In the lounge, Cody and Bailey were curled up on a couch laying down.

"Codykins?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"We aren't going to be in for any surprises this year like last year are we?"

Cody chuckled. "I sure hope not...I'm surprised I'm still not picking my jaw up off the floor..."

"You and me both..."

"But just think Bails, tonight is really our last official duty as active Skulls. After tonight, all we have to do is pass on the torch to someone else..."

"Yeah, about that...Who are we going to pass the torch onto?"

Cody shook his head. "I have no idea. I know Max or Tapeworm or Ella would all do good jobs..."

"But?"

"I don't want it to seem like we are showing favoritism..."

Bailey nodded. "Yeah. Last year, Ty and Beth took us under their wings and nobody had any idea you two were cousins..."

Cody sighed. "That's another thing...It will come out tonight that Ella and I are cousins..."

"Yeah, but you both are legacies. That should be no real big deal..."

"I hope not..."

Bailey smiled at him. "Cody, everyone hear likes and respects you. They know how fair you are..."

Cody paused. "Bails, you just gave me a great idea!"

"What?"

"We put it to a vote. That way, everyone gets their equal say in the matter and it doesn't look like we are playing favorites..."

Bailey smiled at him again. "That's a good idea..."

So, at a quarter till three, everyone was dressed in black and gathered up in the meeting room.

"Before we head out, we need to decide who we are going to pass on the leadership to next semester. So, Bailey is going to be handing out a secret ballot to you all. We will tabulate votes and then have a run off between the top two highest vote recipients. I figure everyone should have some say over this, so vote who you think will do the best job."

Bailey handed out pens and slips of papers and then gathered them when they were done. Cody read off the votes and then everyone voted again among the top two. Once again, Cody read off the votes.

"Alright. We have that decided. Everyone knows where there targets are supposed to be right now. Bailey and I will take the first two and then ride in the van with them. Gary, you have the keys. Once you tap them and they accept, lead them over to the van and move on to your next target."

Someone spoke up. "What if they say no?"

Cody shrugged. "We move on to the next person on the list. All thirty...I mean twenty-nine candidates have been assigned to someone. Once all of your targets have been accounted for one way or the other, return back here...Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Alright, lets roll!"

Cody and Bailey were in the van with Gary driving as they drove past Max and Tapeworm's building. They saw them walking home and had Gary stop. Cody and Bailey pulled down their ski masks and jumped out. They ran up behind them and tapped their shoulders. Max and Tapeworm turned around in surprise.

"Its Tap Day, and you've both been selected to join Skull and Bones..."

Max and Tapeworm were speechless.

"Do you accept?"

Both paused and then nodded. Cody and Bailey pulled out the blindfolds, and secured them on their friends. Once done, they marched them over to the van and guided them inside. Once Cody and Bailey were settled, they gave Gary the nod to peel out, and he did.

Max and Tapeworm looked scared to death, and Bailey knelt in front of them and whispered. "Hey guys, its me, Bailey...You're both doing fine. Just sit back and enjoy the ride..."

Both sighed in relief.

For the next couple of hours, they traveled around campus picking all of their new members up. All of them looked nervous and were fidgety in the back of the van. Well, almost all of them. Ella seemed very at ease. Cody just chalked that up to the fact that he, Bailey, Beth and Ty had all gone through it, and Ella figured it wasn't that bad. Once everyone was picked up, Gary just drove around for a while to confuse everyone. As he began to final trip back to the Tomb, Cody sent a text to someone already back to alert everyone of their pending arrival.

Once everyone was inside and seated, Cody and Bailey were in the ritual room with everyone else getting ready. Cody pulled out the voice modifier and turned to Bailey.

"What's your favorite scary movie?"

Bailey just rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I should have seen that one coming..."

Finally, Cody went into the room all the new members were in and again pulled out the voice modifier.

"SILENCE! Have respect for the Tomb! You fifteen are now peons, but soon you will be Bonesman. Tonight is your initiation into our family. One by one, you will be inducted into our history and bonded with us forever. So, I say we get started as we are in for a long night!"

And with that, they began the long night of initiating everyone. This time, they didn't have the opportunity to relax in the lounge as they were going nonstop. Finally, the last new member was initiated and everyone was gathered in the lounge.

"Congratulations everyone. You're now Bonesman. We know its late, and everyone is either tired or hungry or both. And we plan on taking everyone out for breakfast...on the Skulls. But first, we have one piece of business to deal with first. The fifteen of us in the class of 2014 are on our way out. Class of 2015, this is your baby now. You better take care of it, or there will be some very upset people. Now, every year, someone has been assigned to be essentially the President. This past year, Bailey and I have been honored to hold that position. But, its time to pass it along. I would like everyone to meet your new leader...Ella Wellington. Ella, Bailey and I will be happy to help you transition into the role."

Ella smiled. "Thanks, Cuz..."

Everyone looked at Ella when she said that.

Cody smiled. "Yes, its true. Ella is my cousin. Just like Ty was too. I know it sounds very strange, but if you all would like, I can explain before we leave the Tomb. But as you know, what happens in the Tomb, stays in the Tomb..."

Everyone sat down and Cody and Bailey explained Cody's interesting family history. They began telling them about Uncle Mitch and then got into Uncle Tommy and how neither Ty nor Cody had any idea the year before that they were related. After they were done, everyone nodded and told them it was a cool story.

Cody smiled and sighed. "Alright, its now 5:00 AM...Lets get out of here..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: The way I figure it, Chapter 75 (aka the final chapter) will be posted on Friday evening/night. I've written the Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties, but haven't begun writing the wedding yet. That will be soon, I promise. I have been doing some thinking, and there may be a fourth installment yet. I promise to try to not make it suck like the 4th Indiana Jones movie. My current thinking is fast forwarding through grad school to when they are ready to enter the real world. And for those wondering, you will see drunk Bailey tomorrow. **_  
_


	72. Bailey's Turn

_Chapter 72_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next day, Cody and Bailey again slept late. But with nothing pressing, they took their time around the house and let their bodies readjust to their normal schedules. By Tuesday morning, they were back to normal and got up and went to class. They also went to work as this was their last week of work until after graduation. Both were lucky to have such understanding employers because even when they did go back, both were going to be taking a long weekend for their bachelor and bachelorette parties, two weeks for their wedding and honeymoon, and then their last day would be in early August so they could move back to Boston before grad school started.

The last week of classes went by smoothly, and by Thursday night, they were done of any responsibilities other than finals for the next two weeks. So, on Friday, they began studying for finals a little bit early. While they didn't fear their baseball and film finals, they didn't want to let Bill down in their last ever final for him.

Saturday was different though. It was Bailey's 21st birthday. When Bailey woke up, she reached for Cody to find him missing. She raised up to see if she could smell anything. And sure enough, she smiled as she smelled something delicious coming from the kitchen. Sitting up, she noticed she was surrounded by rose petals. She looked over, and sure enough there was something waiting for her on Cody's pillow. And just like when he proposed, it was a wrapped up scroll. She untied the ribbon around it, unrolled it and read it.

_My Dearest Bailey,_

_I hope you have the happiest of birthdays today, and I will do everything in my power to make that happen. I hope you enjoyed waking up surrounded by rose petals because someone as beautiful as you, inside and out, deserves to be surrounded by beautiful things. When you are ready, there is your favorite breakfast waiting for you in the kitchen. Thank you again for being born and choosing me as the man who gets to stay by your side for the rest of our lives._

_All my love forever and always, Cody._

Bailey smiled and slipped out of bed. As she entered the kitchen, she noticed the table had a bouquet similar to the one Cody had given her for Valentine's Day. Cody was filling two plates with food, and then he turned around and saw Bailey.

"Happy Birthday, Sweetheart."

Bailey walked over and reached up and kissed Cody. "Thank you..."

Cody smiled. "And you have perfect timing as usual. Your birthday breakfast is ready."

Bailey grinned. "It looks delicious, Codykins..."

Cody placed the plates on the table and turned back to Bailey. "Now, let me do this properly..." He pulled Bailey back into his arms and went in for a passionate kiss.

Bailey giggled. "Works for me..."

Cody pulled Bailey's chair out for her before sitting in the seat next to her. Both dug into their breakfasts.

"Mmmmm...This is delicious, Cody."

"I aim to please. So, what would you like to do today, Bails?"

Bailey smiled. "Oh, I think the routine we've established for my birthday will do just fine..."

"As you wish. I do have pig's milk in the fridge, and our picnic backpack all set to go. While you finish breakfast, I will go draw you a bath..."

Bailey grinned. "Remember...for two..."

Cody grinned right back. "Like there was a chance I wasn't going to join you..."

Cody turned on the water and waited for it to warm up before closing the drain. While it was filling, he made the bed and spread out a large towel on the bed. Returning to the bathroom, he added bubble bath and more rose petals to the tub. Finally, it was full as it needed to be and he returned back to the kitchen.

"Milady, your bath awaits..."

Bailey smiled and let Cody lead her back to the bathroom. Minutes later, Bailey was once again leaning back against Cody's chest.

She sighed. "Cody, I will never get tired of doing this..."

"You better not. I love our...recreational baths..."

Bailey laughed. "I like that...recreational baths...Just think, next year will have the hot tub to use..."

"We sure will...Something tells me it will be used often..."

"I know it will. Especially the day we move in. You know, to soothe sore muscles..."

"Of course..."

Bailey turned to face Cody. "And by then, we'll be husband and wife..."

Cody smiled. "Only two months to go..."

Bailey leaned in to kiss him. "I can't wait..."

Before long, the water began to cool. And once again, Cody got out first and dried himself off. He then helped Bailey out of the tub and towel dried her himself. Swooping her up into his arms, her carried her into their bedroom. Bailey just sighed in contentment as Cody proceeded to give her a full body massage. She just closed her eyes and felt like the luckiest woman in the world. Her Cody loved to pamper her and make her feel like the most special person in the world. Of course, she felt the same way about him. And she was ready to show him that. Cody told her to flip over, and he had no chance when she grabbed him and pulled him on to the bed with her. Not that he was complaining.

A couple of hours later, they were just laying in bed together, all snuggled up together.

"So, Bails...Do you want your birthday gifts now or do you want to wait until we get back from our picnic?"

Bailey smiled. "Now, please..."

Cody climbed out of bed and retrieved several wrapped boxes from the close. Returning back to bed, he turned to Bailey.

"I have to forewarn you, your gifts for my birthday inspired some of my gifts. First, for the practical..." He handed Bailey a wrapped box.

Bailey ripped into the wrapping paper and opened the box. Looking inside, she smiled. She lifted out two books. "The most recent editions of the Merck Veterinary Manual and the Saunders Veterinary Dictionary...Thank you, Codykins. I know these will be invaluable."

Cody smiled. "I sure hope so. Now, on to something you might actually like..." Cody handed her another wrapped box.

Again, Bailey ripped into the wrapping paper and opened the box. Again, she smiled as she looked inside. "Cody..." Bailey lifted out a Tufts Vet School sweatshirt, long sleeve t-shirt and short sleeve t-shirt similar to the ones she had gotten her. In addition, there was a pair of brown and light blue pajama pants with the word 'Tufts' embroidered on them. "I love them..."

"Good. I'm sure you will look amazing in them. Now, for this last one, I thought about getting you something to wear for our wedding. But, I realized everyone else will be doing that through the wedding shower, so I decided on this..." Cody handed her the final box.

Bailey smiled and unwrapped the package. Looking inside, her smile only grew wider. The first thing she pulled out was one of their wedding invitations in a frame. "Cody...Thank you..."

Cody smiled. "There is something else in there too..."

Bailey looked back in the box and noticed there was a white cloth that she had initially thought was just protecting the frame. But when she lifted it up, she noticed it wasn't. It was a white handkerchief. She unfolded it and then gasped when she saw it. Cody had had it embroidered with three letters – BAM. Bailey looked up at Cody and had tears in her eyes. "BAM...Bailey Anne Martin..."

Cody smiled. "Yeah...I didn't know you would need it today..."

Bailey just shook her head and smiled. "I won't use it today. But something tells me I'm going to need it quite a bit on our wedding day..."

"That's why I got it for you..."

Bailey reached over and pulled Cody into a hug. "Thank you so much, Codykins...I love you so much."

Cody just held her close. "I know, Bails...I love you so much too..." Finally Cody pulled back and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "What do you say? How does a picnic on the beach sound?"

Bailey smiled. "Sounds wonderful..."

An hour later, they were on the beach. Their picnic blanket was spread out and Cody had gotten out the lunch of Bailey's favorites he had made.

"I have one more surprise in here..."

Cody reached into the other side pocket and pulled out a bottle of wine.

"Its a vintage 1993...In honor of the year you were born..."

"The year you were born too..."

Cody uncorked the bottle and both poured them a glass.

"So, birthday girl, what should we toast too?"

Bailey smiled. "To us. In my opinion, the greatest love story of all time..."

Cody smiled back. "I'll drink to that..."

They clinked glassed and both took a sip. They both just relaxed and enjoyed their time out on the beach and being together. The food was delicious, and the wine was perfect. And they could have stayed out there the rest of the day. But they couldn't. All of their friends were meeting them for dinner, so they both reluctantly packed up their things. Of course, they did go for a walk on the beach first.

After another lingering group shower were Cody once again lathered Bailey, rinsed her, lathered her hair and conditioned it with pig's milk, they were dressed and on their way to the beachfront restaurant. Soon, everyone else showed up, and they went inside. Once again, Cody had reserved a private room for them, so they wouldn't be bothered by other patrons.

And like on Zack and Cody's birthday, all of Bailey's friends started buying her drinks. She suffered through many of the same ones that the twins had. The only differences were from Zack, Cassie and Cody.

Zack began. "Well, Sis...In honor of your successful conversion, I present you with a BoSox Shot..." He grinned. "Enjoy..."

Bailey downed it, but by then, she was already feeling a little woozy. She was constantly blinking to try to focus her vision. Her head was getting a little fuzzy, and she immediately grabbed Cody's hand to get her balance.

Cassie was next. She smiled. "From me, I give you a Wedding Day Bliss mixed drink. I hope its not only a drink, but a reality in two months..."

Bailey was grateful she could just sip on it. And fortunately, that was when the birthday cake came out. She was glad that all eyes weren't on her and watching her drink. And the cake was helping absorb the alcohol.

Finally, it was Cody's turn, and he smiled at her. He placed a champagne flute in front of her. "Since I can see you are feeling the affects, your final drink of the night is from me. Its called a One True Love. And Bails, that is what you are to me. I love you, and happy birthday."

Bailey was able to smile at him. Her words were a little slurred, but she was able to reply. "You're my one true love too, Codykins..." Bailey finished the drink, but after that, Cody signaled to everyone else that she was cut off. When Bailey leaned her head on Cody's shoulder and was holding on him to keep herself up, Cody knew it was time to call it a night.

Before leaving, he lead her out to the patio so she could get some fresh air. There was a lounge chair there, so he sat back in it and pulled Bailey back against him.

"How are you feeling, Sweetheart?"

Bailey sighed. "Not too good...My tummy aches. And is it just me, or is it getting really hot?"

Cody leaned up and whispered in her ear. "I don't know...I always feel the temperature rise when you're near me..."

Bailey began to laugh but ended up hiccuping instead. "Sorry..."

Cody laughed too. "Its okay. Is the fresh air helping?"

"Little..."

"Well, just lay back against me and take deep breaths. I've got you..."

Bailey did just that and ended up turning so her head was on Cody's chest. Bailey replied sleepily. "'Kay...I always feel better in your arms..."

"Good...just take it easy..."

Bailey's eyes were closed, and Cody could tell she was going to pass out soon. "Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"I love you...so so so so so so so much..."

Cody leaned down to kiss her forehead. "And I love you so so so so so so so so much too..."

Bailey began to sing softly. "I love you...always forever...even far...we're still together...everywhere, I will be with you...everything, I will before you...you've got the most sparkling blues I've ever seen..."

Cody just smiled, and soon he could hear Bailey breathing softly. She had fallen asleep. As deftly as he could, he lifted her into his arms and got up out of the chair. Instead of carrying her back through the restaurant, he carried her around the side of the building. Getting back to the car, he repositioned Bailey so he could reach into his pocket to hit the automatic unlock button. Once done, he opened the passenger door and gently sat Bailey inside. He reclined the seat and buckled Bailey in. Getting in the driver's seat, he drove them home. And once home, he propped the back door open again, and carried Bailey in from the car and to the bedroom. After she was settled, he closed the car door, locked it, closed the back door and locked it too.

Returning back to the bedroom, Cody began undressing Bailey as best as he could. With her unable to help at all, the best he could do was put her in pajama pants and a tank top. He then covered her up and placed another kiss on her forehead.

"Hope you had a happy birthday, Bails..."

Bailey breathed out. "I did because of you..."

Cody smiled at her. "Anything for you..."

Bailey mumbled. "Can't wait to be your wife...Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"Please don't ever leave me..."

"Never ever...I love you way too much to ever do that..."

Bailey smiled and murmured. "Good...cause you are my whole life. I'm nothing without you..." And with that, Bailey passed out again.

Cody smiled and placed another kiss on her forehead. "Bails, I'm nothing without you..."

_To be Continued..._


	73. Finishing the Final Semester

_Chapter 73_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next morning, Cody woke up with Bailey in his arms. He opened his eyes and saw that she was still sleeping peacefully. As delicately as he could, he slipped out of bed. Opening the bedroom door, he saw Porkers was already up. Cody leaned down to him.

"Shhhh...Bailey's probably going to sleep for a while. Lets let her rest..."

Cody grabbed a couple of Tylenol from the bathroom to have ready for Bailey like she had done for him. Double checking to make sure there was a sports drink for her, Cody began to fix himself some breakfast. If Bailey was anything like he was, it would be a while before she was hungry. While breakfast was cooking, Cody grabbed the morning paper from the front porch. He was surprised to see the bathroom door closed and a light coming out from underneath it as he walked past. Putting down the paper, he went and gently knocked on the door.

"How are you feeling?"

He heard the toilet flush and the sink turn on. Bailey opened the door. She looked worn out and her hair was sticking up every which way.

"Hey...I guess I'm feeling hungover. A feeling I have no desire to experience ever again..."

Cody smiled. "I have some Tylenol and a sports drink in the kitchen. If you want to go back to bed, I can bring them to you."

Bailey shook her head. "No, I should stay up..."

Cody wrapper his arm around her waist and helped her walk into the kitchen. He pulled out a chair and helped her sit down. After he brought the Tylenol and sports drink over, she took the Tylenol and drank half the bottle.

"You want anything to eat?"

Bailey paused. "Toast?"

Cody smiled. "Coming right up."

Cody finished cooking breakfast and put a plate of toast in front of Bailey. And to his surprise, she actually ate most of it.

"Better?"

Bailey nodded. "A little...Cody, last thing I remember is you taking me outside for some air..."

Cody nodded. "Yeah, I had you sit down with me to get some air and you passed out..."

Bailey sighed. "Great...Did I make a scene?"

"Nah. Once you did, I carried you to the car. I took the back way so no one would see us..."

"Thank you...I didn't embarrass myself or you, did I?"

Cody smiled. "Not in the least..."

Bailey nodded. "Good...And you're right...Woody's going down..."

Cody laughed. "We'll have to see to that..."

Bailey smiled at him. "At least I didn't serenade you last night..."

Cody paused and just looked back down at his breakfast and began eating again.

"Cody?"

Cody just looked up and smiled at her.

"I did, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did..."

Bailey sighed. "I'm so sorry..."

Cody smiled. "Don't be. You have a beautiful voice and I was honored..."

"Thanks, Codykins...You know, the wine at the beach. That was fine. The numerous drinks later, not so much..."

Cody nodded. "Agreed. No more binge drinking for us..."

"I actually liked the wine...That...that...jet fuel Woody gave me...Ugh..."

"Tell you what, we'll have to see what we can do about having wine every so often. Just not for the next two weeks. We have studying and finals..."

"Agreed. And Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"Nothing ever from a box..."

Cody laughed. "I concur..."

The rest of the day Sunday, Cody and Bailey just lounged around the apartment. Bailey really didn't feel like going out anywhere that day, and Cody was content just just lay on the couch with her and watch movies.

"Cody?"

"Yeah?"

"Is the Back to the Future Trilogy on every weekend?"

"Pretty much..."

Monday was kind of surreal for them. The Monday of reading week had always been the day they met Bill in his office to schedule their classes for the next semester. But they didn't need to do that anymore. And as for next semester, Tufts was giving them both a schedule in which they had no say in the matter. But, they did go on campus to both formally submit their Economics and Biology papers for departmental honors. Once done, they returned home.

"So Bails, what is our finals schedule again?"

"Population Economics on Saturday morning, Film on Monday morning and Baseball on Wednesday afternoon..."

Cody nodded. "I say we study today for Film, tomorrow and Tuesday for Baseball, and the rest of the week for Population Economics, and then day before the exams on the others..."

"Sounds like a plan to me, Codykins..."

So, that's what they did. And by Saturday morning, they were ready to take their final ever round of finals as Yale undergraduates. Population Economics would have been difficult if they hadn't been so well prepared. Film and Baseball finals were pieces of cake. As they walked out of their Baseball final, Cody turned to Bailey.

"Bails...We just took our last ever final here at Yale..."

Bailey smiled. "I know. On one hand, I'm happy to be moving on to our next chapter in our lives. But on the other, New Haven has been our home for three years. This place has so many good memories for us..."

"I know. We have memories here that we will never forget. But like the S.S. Tipton, its time for us to move on. Like you said, the next chapter of our lives awaits us..."

Bailey nodded. "You're right..."

Cody smiled. "But, it doesn't mean will never come back. I sure plan on it. Our bed and breakfast will always be one of my favorite places..."

Bailey grinned. "Mine too..."

"Come on, let's go home."

The next day, Cody and Bailey did have a couple of errands they had to run. First, they had to go by and pick up their caps, gowns and Phi Beta Kappa cords. Once that was done, it was off to the Tomb to meet Ella to pass along everything to her.

"What's up, Cuz?"

Cody laughed. "I'm done with college, you?"

Ella rolled her eyes. "Ha ha...Anyways, I have a final tomorrow afternoon, let's get this show on the road..."

Cody nodded. "Alright..."

Cody and Bailey took Ella through the Tomb and showed her everything that she would need to know about. They gave her the forms for her to be able to sign checks and for the university's records. Once they gave her the guidelines for the meetings and the rituals, there was one last thing to do.

Bailey smiled. "And if you need anything, feel free to give us or Ty or Beth or your grandfather a call..."

Cody nodded. "And there is this..." Cody pulled out the little black book. "Inside is the names and numbers for all the living Skulls. Do not let anyone know about this. What's inside does not need to get out. Now, they already have your number now, but don't hesitate to call them if you need anything..."

Ella nodded. "Will do...Thanks, guys. I'll actually miss seeing you guys around..."

"Well, you are coming to our wedding right?"

"Of course..."

"Good..." Bailey paused. "Will you be bringing a guest?"

Ella smiled. "Maybe..."

"Do we know this guest?"

"Maybe..."

Cody shrugged. "Alright...I guess we'll find out that Brent is coming with you then..."

Ella nodded. "Right...Wait! I didn't say that!"

Bailey grinned. "Its okay...It wasn't hard to see that you two were getting close..."

Ella sighed. "Yeah, yeah...I really need to be getting home to study..."

"We'll see you later then..."

Cody and Bailey returned home as well, but they had nothing to do. Cody turned to Bailey.

"I guess we have a few days before our families descend on us, right?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah...and a week until graduation..."

_To be Continued..._


	74. Prom Night

_Chapter 74_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

On Saturday morning, Cody and Bailey are sitting on the couch as Bailey is on the phone.

"Okay, Mom..." "Friday Morning at 10:00..." "We'll see you then..." "We love you guys too..."

Bailey hung up, turned to Cody and sighed.

Cody smiled. "I take it your family will be here on Friday morning?"

"Yeah...What about yours?"

"The Seattle crew is flying into Boston Thursday night, and then everyone is driving down Friday morning..."

Bailey nodded. "All of our families flying in reminds me of our high school graduation..."

"It sure does..." Cody paused. "You remember what we were doing one week before our high school graduation?"

Bailey smiled. "Of course...It was our senior prom..."

Cody took her hand and kissed. "You looked absolutely amazing that night."

"You didn't look so bad yourself..."

"Bails, no one but you was looking at me except calling me that lucky guy dancing with the most beautiful girl in the room..."

Bailey smiled. "I still have no clue how we got elected prom queen and king though..."

Cody smiled. "I'm not complaining. It does still blow my mind that a guy is going to marry the prom queen..."

"Codykins...I don't care about that. I will always be your queen..."

"Its too bad there isn't a prom for college...I'd love to spend the evening holding you in my arms and dancing the night away..."

Bailey grinned. "Who says we can't?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I read the New Haven Ballroom Dancing Society has Saturday night dances..."

Cody grinned. "Do we need to make reservations?"

Bailey shook her head. "Nope...Just pay at the door..."

"Then if the lady will allow me, I will make a reservation for us at a nice restaurant before hand..."

Bailey leaned in and kissed Cody. "Sounds perfect..."

Leter that evening, Cody and Bailey were dressed to the nines. As they headed out of the apartment, Cody opened the passenger door for Bailey. She rewarded him with a warm smile and a kiss on the cheek. Soon, they were on their way to one of the nicest restaurants in town. The kind that even though you have a reservation, it still may take you a few minutes to be seated. Well, they were finally seated at a private table lit by candlelight.

Cody smiled. "Have I told you yet how beautiful you look tonight?"

Bailey smiled back. "Once or twice..."

"Well, its true..."

"I appreciate that, Codykins..."

"What would you say to ordering a bottle of wine? And then we're cut off..."

Bailey laughed. "Sounds good to me..."

They proceeded to have a nice romantic dinner where as usual, they shared their meals with other and fed each other. Once they were finished, they headed over to the ballroom dance. And for the rest of the evening, they just danced close in each other's arms.

Cody smiled. "Next month, this will be our wedding reception..."

Bailey smiled back. "I know. I guess its good to get some practice in..."

"Think these people will mind if we just start making out on the dance floor?"

Bailey laughed. "Probably...We don't want to get kicked out..."

Cody laughed too. "What would it matter? We're moving in three months..."

"True..."

Cody grinned. "Besides, if these people having a problem with me showing the woman I love how much I love her, that's their problem..."

"You're right..."

Both leaned in and their lips met. And they didn't part for quite a while. No one else there complained and actually thought it was quite sweet. And when they got home, they did a recreation of their original prom night.

The next couple of days were days to sit back and relax. Bill stopped by to tell them that they had had already graded their finals, and of course, they had both gotten another A.

Bailey smiled. "Thank you again so much. We both feel like we've learned so much from you..."

Bill smiled back. "Well, you two did all the work..." He grinned. "And don't be surprised to hear your names called for departmental distinctions..."

"Really?"

"Maybe...But you didn't hear it from me..."

Finally, Friday arrived. With so many people coming in, Cody and Bailey had made reservations for them in advance so that everyone would be staying in the same hotel. The group from Boston would arrive about 11:00 AM, and the group from Kansas would be flying in around 11:00 AM as well. So, Cody and Bailey said they would just meet everyone at their hotel and have lunch with them.

Arriving at the hotel, they got the room numbers from the front desk and went up to see their families. After everyone was settled, they all decided to get lunch. Since finals had been over for almost a week, most of the undergrads had left campus. So, Cody and Bailey took everyone to their favorite campus establishment.

"So, what is the schedule for tomorrow?"

"Their is the brunch for all graduates and their families at 9:00. There, all departmental honors will be announced. Then, at 4:00 o'clock, we meet the other graduates at Cross Campus and march with them over to Old Campus where graduation will take place. And it begins at 5:00..."

"What is there to do today?"

Bailey smiled. "Anything you want to do. We can just hang out or we can show you around New Haven or..."

"Well, what have you two been doing the past few days?"

Cody laughed. "Nothing...We've just been taking it easy after finals."

Ellie smiled. "Well, I would actually like to see where you two live before you move out..."

Bailey's grandmother nodded. "So would I..."

So, once lunch was over, Cody and Bailey took everyone back to their apartment. They gave those who hadn't seen it before the grand tour, and Porkers was in his element just oinking around all the new people.

Bailey's grandmother and Ellie both agreed. "We like it. It has a very homey feel to it..."

Ellie agreed. "Think you'll be able to bring it to your new place?"

Joe turned to his daughter. "Speaking of your new place, we haven't heard much about it..."

Cody pulled out his cell phone and showed Joe and Maggie the footage he had taken of it. Joe just sat there mesmerized. Finally, he looked up at them.

"How can you guys afford this place? Its almost as big as our farm!"

Bailey laughed. "Don't worry, Daddy. The building is owned by Cody's Great Uncle Tommy, we got a big family discount..."

Joe paused. "Now, that's the brand new one, right?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah. And the location is perfect. Only two blocks from both of our schools and we will have everything we need in the surrounding neighborhood..."

Joe shrugged. "If you say so...This new place I gotta see..."

Maggie paused. "And its okay for Porkers to be there?"

Bailey nodded. "Oh yeah. Porker's is already dreaming about it. I think he wants us to add a piggy door so he can come and go on the rooftop deck as much as he wants..."

Porkers oinked at that.

Joe just shook his head. "I swear, you two spoil that pig rotten..."

Maggie rolled her eyes at him and turned back to Cody and Bailey. "So, is everything else set for this summer?"

Bailey nodded. "On the Saturday before the wedding, everyone will be flown down to Miami where we will all board the ship. The wedding is on Thursday evening, and Cody and I will leave for our honeymoon the next afternoon..."

"Where to?"

Cody smiled. "Another little surprise London came up with. Seems Wilfred Tipton owns two islands in the Caribbean. One one, he has the Tipton Caribbean Resort. The second island is about a quarter mile away. Its big enough for his private island getaway. London is letting us use that. We'll be secluded, but only a small boat ride away from the luxuries and amenities..."

Ellie laughed. "Now, that sounds like fun!"

The rest of the day was spent showing everyone around New Haven and campus before taking everyone back to the hotel. After dinner in the hotel restaurant, it was time for Cody and Bailey to head back home.

"See you guys tomorrow...When we graduate!"

_To be Concluded..._


	75. Graduation

_Chapter 75_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next morning, Cody and Bailey were up early. After showering and changing into semi-dress clothes, they headed to the hotel to meet their families again. With such a large number of people, they told everyone to be ready by seven thirty figuring it would be closer to eight by the time everyone was ready to leave. Well, they were wrong, and it was closer to eight thirty. Everyone had to hurry to get over to campus and to the brunch. Between the Pickett and Martin families, they took up quite a few tables, and each table held twelve people. Cody and Bailey were at a table with Zack, Cassie, Sarah, Kurt, Arwin, Carey, Ellie, Bailey's grandmother, Maggie and Joe.

Finally, the brunches were served as the University President took the stage.

"Welcome to the Class of 2014, families and friends. The Class of 2014 includes over 1200 students. As you can see, there are not that many people here this morning. The ones of you that are here have been nominated for distinctions and honors, so that is what we are going to do today..."

The first several awards we handed out to those graduates who excelled on the field of competition as well as the classroom. The next awards were given out to those who had shown great contributions to the betterment of the campus and community. Those were followed by awards given to those contributed the most to expanding diversity on campus.

"Our next award is the Amanda Walton Award. It is given to an outstanding member of the senior class who best exemplifies quality of courage, strength of character and high moral purpose. The winner of the Class of 2014 is...Miss Bailey A. Pickett..."

Everyone at the tables began applauding, none harder than Cody, and Bailey got up to accept the unexpected award. Along with it came an honor cord to wear for graduation. Bailey shook the President's hand as she accepted the award and had her picture taken.

"Next, we have the James Andrew Haas Prize. It is awarded annually to that member of the senior class in Yale College whose breadth of intellectual achievement, strength of character and fundamental humanity shall be adjudged by the faculty to have provided leadership for his or her fellow students, inspiring in them a love of learning and concern for others. The winner in the Class of 2014 is...Cody M. Martin."

Cody was surprised and stood up as everyone began applauding him, no one more than Bailey. Cody walked to the stage for his handshake with the President and picture while receiving the award. It too came with an honor cord to wear at graduation.

Next came the awards for the individual colleges such as humanities and creative arts. Soon, they would be getting to the awards in social sciences and natural sciences, both categories Cody and Bailey were eligible for.

"The next two awards we will knock out at the same time. First is the Arthur Twining Hadley Prize. It is awarded to the senior in Yale College majoring in the social sciences who ranks the highest in scholarship. We have a tie this year, and the winners for their majors in Economics are Bailey A. Pickett and Cody M. Martin, both graduating with perfect 4.0s. Further, Miss Pickett and Mr. Martin have also won the Russell Henry Chittenden Prize. It is given to the senior in Yale College majoring in natural sciences or mathematics who ranks highest in scholarship. Both Miss Pickett and Mr. Martin were also Biology majors, and again perfect 4.0s...And in case if you are wondering, they are engaged and getting married next month..."

Cody and Bailey both stood up again to more applause. Both were happy to get the awards, and both again went up to receive them. This time, they took a group photo with the university president as they received the awards. Returning back to their seats, they whispered to each other.

"Congrats, Bails!"

"You too, Codykins!"

"I guess Bill was right..."

Cody and Bailey sat back down and their families congratulated them again as they passed around the awards for everyone to look at.

"Our final general Yale College award is the Alpheus Henry Snow Prize. It is awarded to that senior who through the combination of intellectual achievement, character and personality, shall be adjudged by the faculty to have done the most for Yale by inspiring his or her classmates an admiration and love for the best traditions of high scholarship. And this year's winners is...Miss Pickett and Mr. Martin. In case you didn't know, they were the team that won the first ever Jeopardy College Team Tournament for Yale..."

Cody and Bailey again got up to get their award. By this time, both were feeling a little bad about winning almost everything. Okay, not really. They had busted their humps and were glad to be recognized for all their hard work. The real joy to them was being recognized together.

Finally, it came time for each individual department to hand out its awards. First up was African American Studies. Zack smirked and asked his brother how come neither Cody or Bailey won any of the awards there.

Eventually, it was time for the Biology Department Awards.

Professor Reed walked up to the podium. "I hate to sound like a broken record, but the Department of Biology awards will include familiar names. We hand out two annual awards, The William R. Belknap Prize for excellence in biological studies and the Edgar J. Boell Prize awarded to a senior for excellence in Biology. We have a tie for these awards, and the winners are Bailey A. Pickett and Cody M. Martin. In addition to these awards, Miss Pickett and Mr. Martin have automatically become members of the Biology Honor Society, Tri Beta and will graduate from our department with honor and distinction."

Cody and Bailey got up once again to a round of applause. The both shook Professor Reed's hand and had their picture taken with him. In addition, they were both given a red and green honor cord. Cody and Bailey returned to their seats with their new awards.

The next departments heads got up and handed out their awards. Everyone had to wait a little while as there were several departments that began with a 'C' and a 'D'. Finally, it was turn for the Economics awards. And to Cody and Bailey's surprise, it was Bill who took the podium.

"I'm Professor Bill Thomas from the Economics Department, and it is my honor to hand out this years departmental awards. The first two recipients I have had the privilege of knowing for the past three years. Not only are they two of the finest students the department has ever had and two of the finest people you will ever meet, my wife and I have had the honor of being their neighbors and landlords for the past three year. And yes...I'm talking about Bailey Pickett and Cody Martin. This year, they are the co-winners of the Charles Heber Dickerman Memorial for best departmental essays by seniors majoring in economic, the Louis F. Laun Award which is awarded to the senior majoring in economics for overall excellence in his or her program of study in Yale College, and the Ronald Meltzer/Cornelia Awdziewicz Award for outstanding senior essay in Economics. In addition, they have automatically become members of Omicron Delta Epsilon, the Economics Honor Society and will graduate with departmental distinction and honor. Congratulations, Cody and Bailey..."

Cody and Bailey got up one last time to accept their awards to a round of applause. However, this time, they both hugged Bill and got their picture taken with him. In addition, they were given a blue, white and gold honor cord.

When they returned to their seats, Zack turned to them again. "If you guys have anything more around your necks, you're going to look like Mr. T..."

Everyone sat and waited for all of the other departments to hand out their awards. By the time everyone was done, it was close to twelve thirty. Since Zack and Cassie were crashing with them that night, the four of them headed back to Cody and Bailey's apartment. They told their families they would meet them at the hotel at 2:30 so they could all head back to campus from there.

Once home, Cody changed into his new suit while Bailey changed into her nicest dress. Both knew their gowns would cover both of them, but they wanted to show the ceremony the respect they felt it deserved. Grabbing their caps, gowns and all of their honor chords, they all headed back out to the hotel. Once there, since their families pretty much took up a whole floor, they had Cody and Bailey put on their caps, gowns and cords so they could take pictures. And there were a lot of pictures taken. Finally, by 3:30, everyone had to cut it short so they could get back to campus. Cody and Bailey were dropped off at Cross Campus before everyone else parked and headed to Old Campus to get their seats. Fortunately, the weather was cooperating and it was a beautiful day.

Once gathered with the other graduates, Cody and Bailey had to go up to get their cards. The cards had their names and the degrees they were graduating with. Yale didn't actually pass out the diplomas at graduation; they would be mailed out to the graduates later. So, not having to be in alphabetical order, Cody and Bailey could sit together.

About a quarter till 5:00, all the graduates were lined up so they could begin the walk over to Old Campus. From across campus, they could hear the Yale Orchestra beginning to play Pomp and Circumstance. The column of graduates began marching, and Cody and Bailey marched in with them. They made the short walk to Old Campus and the graduates walked down the aisle between the two sections of seats for graduates. Bailey marched in front of Cody, and they split off to the right and stood in front of their seats. Once everyone was in, they were instructed to sit down.

Things were began with opening words from the University President. He addressed the graduating class and gave them some words of wisdom. Then he turned it over to the Graduation speaker. It was none other than former President Bill Clinton, Yale Law Class of 1973.

President Clinton is a natural born orator, so it was no surprise that he had everyone eating out of the palm of his hand. He gave an inspirational speech to motivate and encourage all of the graduates. When he was finished, he received a standing ovation from not only the graduates but from everyone in attendance.

Finally, it was time for everyone to cross the stage. Cody and Bailey were sitting in the middle, so it was going to take some time for it to be there turn. And fortunately, not all 1300 graduates showed up to walk for graduation.

After about an hour, it was Cody and Bailey's turn. Bailey was first.

"Bailey Anne Pickett. Miss Pickett is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Sciences in Biology. She is graduating Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and with honor and distinction from both the departments of Economics and Biology. Miss Pickett is also one of our Albright Award winners."

Cody followed her.

"Cody Mitchell Martin. Mr. Martin is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Sciences in Biology. He is graduating Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and with honor and distinction from both the departments of Economics and Biology. Mr. Martin is also one of our Albright Award winners."

As both crossed the stage to shake the university president's hand as well as the hand of President Clinton, they were showered with numerous whoops and hollers from their families in the crowd. Both saw numerous flashes going off, and both saw their Dads videotaping everything.

After returning to their seats, they waited for everyone else to go through the progression. Once everyone was through, the university president spoke again.

"Will all the graduates please rise..." After everyone did, he continued. "Your tassels are now hanging on the right side. Please reach up and switch them over to the left side. Congratulations! You are the Yale Class of 2014!"

With that, numerous graduates threw their caps into the air. Cody and Bailey did as well, but made sure to catch theirs – they wanted to save them as souvenirs. After the chaos calmed down, Cody and Bailey walked over to the family seats and noticed others who had shown up. There was Woody, Addison, London, Esteban, Francesca, Murray, Max, Tapeworm, Ella, Ty, Beth and Great Uncle Tommy. Cody and Bailey hugged each of them and thanked them for coming.

London spoke up and said that Wilfred Tipton had reserved an entire restaurant for everyone to celebrate at, so they should move the party on to it. Everyone did, and soon enough, everyone was in the restaurant celebrating. For everyone who was 21, a round of champagne was ordered, and Cody and Bailey were toasted for their accomplishments.

Cassie turned to Bailey. "You're college graduates now. What's next?"

Bailey smiled back. "Next...Cody's and my wedding!"

_The End..._

**Author's Note: Senior Ditch Day is now up on Youtube. And yes...we finally get Cailey interaction again. I dare anyone to watch it and deny that those two weren't made for each other.**_  
_


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